During March 2026, a series of three online training sessions were held on the OPERAS ration‑calculation tool, each bringing together around 10–12 participants from Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso. The sessions were facilitated by Mr. Jonte Schröder and Prof. Eva Schlecht from the University of Kassel, Section Animal Husbandry in the Tropics and Subtropics.
OPERAS has been developed by Mr. Schröder and Dr. Regina Roessler within Work Package 6 of SustainSahel. It is an Excel‑based tool designed to support optimized ration formulation for small and large ruminants, making the best use of feed resources that are available locally across the Sudano‑Sahelian zones of West Africa, with their nutritional characteristics fully integrated. While not intended for direct use by farmers, it serves as a practical decision‑support and advisory tool for extension agents working in governmental and non‑governmental organizations—putting locally available feeds at the heart of sustainable livestock nutrition. The training familiarized participants with the tool's structure and application, while also providing valuable feedback to the developers by highlighting opportunities for further refinement to better reflect field realities. OPERAS is available in English and French, along with user handbooks in both languages. Access the tool via the link below.
It is encouraging to see continued collaboration and capacity building emerging from SustainSahel, directly advancing the project's goal of using locally available resources across the Sahel region.
Weblinks
Access to the tool: https://www.uni-kassel.de/fb11agrar/fachgebiete-einrichtungen/animal-husbandry-in-the-tropics-and-subtropics-ahts/operas.html
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