Training of Dairy Farmers, Processors and Development Agents on Dairy Cattle Management

Training of Dairy Farmers, Processors and Development Agents on Dairy Cattle Management and Milk Hygiene in East Shoa

1.  Background

Although establishment of modern dairying in the zone has a long history, the knowledge in modern dairying, processing and marketing remained regressive and poorly organized. As a result, dairy performance indicators such as milk productivity per cow, age at first calving, calving interval, lactation length etc. reported to be well below the international average standards. Milk hygiene and processing have been run by traditional management that have caused for vulnerability to food safety and for less demand to local milk and milk products. Traditional dairying in East Shoa is women controlled enterprise. However, women farmers are usually neglected from many of the capacity building activities that were carried out at household level. Therefore, building the capacity of women farmers was the primary agenda of this training in order to bring women to influence modernization of dairying in the project Zone. For this reason, couples training was carried out in the present dairy training.

To fill knowledge gaps in dairy management and milk hygiene, the LIVES project together with Zonal and district Livestock Development Health Agency initiated dairy development and marketing training in project three districts in East Shoa, namely Lume, Bora and Dugda. The participants of the training were composed of about 30 couples who have dairy farming, 6 processors, 9 members from dairy cooperatives and 15 development agents from three project districts in the zone. The trainees were delivered on theoretical and practical aspects of dairying for 3 days in three venues on the same day, from 7-9 September, 2014. The objectives of the training were:

·  Trainees will have theoretical and practical training on modern dairying and milk hygiene that help farmers and processors to produce high quality milk and milk by products

·  Gender mainstreaming of dairy intervention through promoting couples training.

·  To ensure that the trainees captured what they are taught and apply practically on their own business through pre- and post- training evaluation.

·  To document how DAs disseminate their skill and knowledge to non-participant farmers by assisting DAs to develop action plan at the end of the training and to help DAs to provide coaching and mentoring support to train and non-trained dairy farmers.

2.  Introductory session

After the self-introductions, the trainers asked the participants for their expectations from this training. Below are summary of expectations of the participants

2.1 Experience sharing among the value chain actors

·  Good dairy management practices and marketing

·  Awareness about the different value chain actors and service providers.

·  Availability, operation and use of dairy equipment

·  Set up Organization and Institutions for dairy development in the district

3.0 Participants Selection and Mode of Training.

Training Participants were selected based on their ownership of dairy cows, willingness to accept new technologies and innovations, ability to invest in dairy, interested to share the gained knowledge to other farmers, motivated and keen for change. The training was conducted in the three different places at the same time. Group I, the Mojo group, to be conducted in Mojo town from, Group II, Bote group in Bote town; Group III, Meki group in Meki town. The training encompassed both theoretical and practical training. The theoretical training used participatory adult education where participants feel free in sharing their knowledge and concern in the course of the learning process. During theoretical training demonstrations were shown and accompanied by practical exercises such as ration formulation and exhibiting chopper and shredder. Other demonstrations such as urea-molasses block, milk tester, cream separator, churner, making of yoghurt, cheese and butter from fresh and sour milk were shown during study tour organized in Bishoftu town. Sour and fresh milk will be used in the processing demonstration to help the trainees understand the relevance of rural milk system to urban consumers. Training manual was prepared in local language and distributed at the beginning of the training for reference through training session and at post training period. The following training topics were dealt during theoretical training session:

·  Housing

·  Ration formulation

·  Feeding and watering

·  Cow selection and management

·  Claves rearing

·  Replacement stock management

·  Heat detection and AI

·  Bull Management

·  Record keeping

·  Cow milking and milk hygiene

·  Animal health and disease

The second session of the training was study tour and field visit to Debrezeit in order to understand the dairy value chain development and operation both at smallholders and commercial level. The place of visit included smallholder dairy farms, input suppliers, service providers, marketing cooperatives, milk collection centers and supermarkets. The visit was in the following sites:

·  Smallholder dairy farms were W/z Tigist, W/z Jembelitu and W/z Wagaye, all are members of Babogaya Women Saving and credit Association who are successful in their dairy business. These women Association was formerly established by ILRI Debrezeit station in early 1990s and then the IPMS project had continuously supported since 2004 until 2011 through capacity building in mentoring and coaching their activities . These women dairy farmers from Babogaya were deliberately selected to motivate female trainees from the project intervention Woreda to follow their example.

·  Commercial dairy Producers in Debrezeit (Farms with greater than 20 milking cows Genesis Farm, Aster Farm)

·  Input suppliers (Alemakoudyes PLC, Private AI service providers)

·  Service providers, EMDTI (Ethiopian Meat and Dairy Technology Institute)

·  Processing and Marketing of Ada Dairy Cooperative (Milk collection centers, processing plant and cooperative organization)

The Trainers for these events were MSc students who are doing their research thesis on livestock sector. The students are Tesfaye Moreda and Almaz for Lume district, Kedir for Bora district, Fikremariam for Dugda district. The students are from Hawasa and Addis Ababa University. The Msc students were supported by experts from Oromia regional, zonal and district Livestock Development and Health Agency, Ethio-feeds PLC, EMDTI and LIVES staff

4.0 Presentations and discussions

4.1 Facilitation approach

The training approach was participatory and based on adult education principles. The trainees were allowed to share their experience to other participants. Group discussions carried out during the lecture time and writing on the flip charts initiated better communication and sharing of experiences. The class room training was carried out for two days and another one day devoted for study tour.

4.2 Opening of the training program

The training program was official opened by the respective Heads of woreda livestock health and development agencies. They welcomed participants and explained briefly about LIVES and its objectives. They have also expressed their expectation from this training in helping the dairy value chain actors to run their business efficiently and effectively.

4.3 Venue and Date of the Training:

Group I, the Mojo group 30 people, to be conducted in Mojo town and study tour to Debrezeit (from 7-9 Sept. 2014)

Group II, Bote group 30 people in Bote town and study tour to Debrezeit (from 7-9 Sept. 2014)

Group III, Meki group 30 people in Meki town and study tour to Debrezeit (from 7-9 Sept. 2104)

4.4 Debriefing/plenary presentation of learning from the study tour:

·  The participants were grouped into three small groups and provided with planning template to prepare action plans for each district. The action plans were presented in plenary.

·  After the training and study tour all the trainees reflected on their learning and demonstrate what they have learned in plenary.

·  It was agreed every value chain actor and service provider is equally important for the development of the sector.

5.0 Analysis and key insights

The trainees in each districts were divided in three groups to share their experiences in dairying such as the challenges they faced, the opportunities they have and the vision they have for dairy development.

5.1 Experiences Obtained

·  Creating awareness about milk through organizing events during milk day and school milk day.

·  Link producers, input suppliers and market agents.

·  Strengthen dairy platforms

·  Strengthen market information system

·  Experience sharing meetings of dairy experts and farmers at district, zone and region.

5.2 Challenges for dairy industry

·  Milk price falls down during fasting seasons

·  Poor AI service efficiency and effectiveness

·  High feed cost

·  Poor extension services and market linkage

·  Unavailability of milk processing equipment

·  Poor organizational and institutional setup to build the dairy industry in a group and or coops.

·  Dairy cows are too expensive and are unavailable.

5.3 Opportunities

·  High population growth

·  Increasing income

·  Development of industry and expansion irrigation farms

·  Expansion of towns

5.4 Vision for Dairying

·  Organize producers in dairy co-operatives

·  Build milk processing plants

·  Promotion of dairy and diary by products through organizing events

·  Government incentives for dairy producers eg, land, lifting taxes and subsidy

6.0 Next steps/Follow up action plans

The process and useful ideas reflected during the training event was recorded and documented as a training report.

6.1 Monitoring and Record keeping

One of the gaps in dairy business is record keeping. Dairy record keeping sheets were shared and discussed with the participants. The DAs and district SMS were agreed to take the responsibility to assist the producers in filling some of the records.

6.2 Action plan. Common to the action plans were awareness creation on the use of milk and milk by products, continues skill development and follow up of producers, organizing milk producers into formal and informal groups , regular meeting of dairy value chain actors through platforms meetings.

6.3 Post training Follow up and support

Regional, Zonal and district level staff are assigned to follow up on the progress of each trainee and give feedback to the next high level responsible body. LIVES project provides logistic support at the time of mentoring and coaching of the trained farmers. DAs and supervisor shall provide a follow up written report to LIVES project and to district livestock and Health Agency.