Nigeria | Dairy cow genetics and breeding

2026 Top Agri-food Pioneers: Raphael Mrode

Raphael Mrode harnesses the power of data and genetics to identify and breed economically important traits into dairy cows, leading to healthier cattle with higher milk production. This allows farmers to breed smaller cows that require less feed and grazing land while producing more milk. He divides his attention between solving food shortages for poor farmers in low-input environments across Africa and improving the efficiency of the UK’s livestock sector. Mrode was instrumental in forming the African Dairy Genetic Gains program in Kenya, which gathers local cattle data to inform selective breeding for improved productivity. Farmers in the program have reported milk yield gains of up to 67%. Passionate about building capacity, he has lectured in postgraduate quantitative genetics since 2005 and conducts international training courses in genetics and genomics to empower the next generation of livestock scientists.