Overview
Niger counted almost 4 million milking cows in 2013. That year, the country produced 1.2 million litres of milk, mainly in agropastoral production systems. The milk yield was about one litre per cow per day.

Baseline greenhouse gas emissions
The dairy sector emitted about 16 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂-eq.) of greenhouse gases in 2013. Almost 85 percent of Niger’s emissions came from agropastoral systems and methane from enteric fermentation was by far the dominant source of emissions. Emission intensities were12 kg CO₂-eq. per kilograms of fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM) in agropastoral systems and 21 kg CO₂-eq/kg FPCM in the pastoral ones.

Mitigation interventions
The use of improved breeds in agropastoral systems and forage tree cultivation in pastoral systems showed the highest potential to decrease emission intensity in Niger’s livestock production systems. Other interventions aimed at improving feeding, such as cowpea haymaking in agropastoral systems, also showed beneficial results. Applying an intervention package could lead to Niger’s emission intensity reductions reaching almost 35 percent in both pastoral and agropastoral systems. Such interventions would bring co-benefits for farmers’ income and resilience as the better management of seasonal availability and digestibility of feed resources could also help the country face long-term fluctuations due to climate change.