Better
cow health and more milk at dairies in Punjab, Pakistan
Pakistan Dairy
Supply Chain Development Project (PDSCDP) is an IFC initiative executed by VetEffecT and Solve Agri Pak. Willem van der Bent,
associated expert of VetEffecT and trainer in the
program, tells his story.
A big dairy
processor and important player in the Pakistan dairy market, has a high demand
for fresh and high quality milk. Many investors in Punjab opt for the dairy
sector. In turn, existing dairy farms have been expanding their herd or
switching from the traditional buffalo to a pure milk breed cow, in order to
achieve a higher milk production per animal and a higher farm income.
Training of
DDE’s
Capacity
building in animals is only one step in milk supply chain development. Most
animals are imported from other countries. It is a challenge to keep those
animals under climatically hard (stress full) circumstances, as in Punjab. To
enable these cows to produce milk at the expected level, specialised
technical knowledge and practical skills are required and farmers need support
in this learning processing order to meet the growing demands of the market.
Nestlé started a project to train 50 Dairy Development Executives (DDE’s) in
the specific skills that are required to make dairy farming more successful.
The DDE’s are,
in groups of 5, trained at 10 selected model farms. Training is done in three
sessions of three days each spread over a period of about one year. For each
session, one local expert (Solve Agri Pak) and two international experts (VetEffecT) are involved. By making use of the actual
situation at the model farms and implementing a farm scan tool, strengths and
weaknesses in the farms production and management processes were identified.
The DDE’s were given guidance in analysing the points
of improvement and deciding on the best course of action for improvement. The
time between the training sessions is used to implement the advised actions.
DDE’s were given assignments to do the same on selected pilot farms in their
own region. At some model farms incredible progress was seen after the first
session on, for instance, young stock growth rates. Which is an important
aspect of sustainable dairy farming, because your present young stock is the
future cow.
As an expert in
Animal Husbandry and Milking Techniques Willem is impressed with the knowledge
level of the DDE’s (doctors). But the skills to translate knowledge into an
effective advice to the farmer and the executing staff were somewhat lacking.
Therefore it is essential to have practical skills (experience), access to
specific farm information, self-confidence and the will to go on to farms with
the animals and train through example. Standard Operation Procedures (SOP’s)
for several farm actions were introduced in order to standardize processes
executed by different workers.
The overall
objective in the project is more milk of a better quality.
More milk
Buying cattle
from abroad is a short-term method, but not sustainable. In the training
therefore, a lot of attention is payed to the design of a (5 Year) business
plan. The design process involves the identification of the effects of (good)
technical results on the economic performance of the farm. Planning of
investments, development of the herd after imports as well as feed requirements
and the running costs are indicated in order to investigate the feasibility of
the farmers plans.
Milk of a better
quality
Awareness of
influencing factors of the milk quality is the key, SOP’s help the workers know
what, and how to implement effective on-farm change. Do not be surprised that a
SOP for bedding maintenance is of great influence on milk quality or udder
health.
Integrated
competences in the total production chain of milk, that is what Pakistan will
help forward in its challenge. May our (Experts’) contribution and possible
follow-up be valuable in that process.