Introducing the MilkIT project and its initial

resultsAlan Duncan

MilkIT Outreach Meeting, Dar es Salaam, 11 December 2014

Enhancing dairy-based livelihoods in India and Tanzania through feed innovation and

value chain development approaches

Background

Background

Why feed?

– The key issue for improved productivity

Why dairy?

– Good for women

– Good for nutrition

– Makes use of existing skills/assets

New approaches

Conventional approach to livestock

research

Technologies

traders

farmers

processors

researchers

Innovation Platform Approach

Rural

farmer

Collector Processor

Consumer

Input

supplier

Coop

Research Extension

Conventional approach: research to

farmerInnovation Systems

Approach: research inside

Research Extension

Linking across scales to increase

reach and potential impact

District District

Village IP

Regional Dairy Platform

Village IP

Village IP

Village IP

Action research

Inter-vention

Tanzania DDF

District Council

Management Team

Locations

Livestock and Fish – global value chains

Objectives

Objectives

Institutional strengthening: To strengthen use of value chain and innovation approaches among dairy stakeholders to improve feeding strategies for dairy cows.

Productivity enhancement: To develop options for improved feeding strategies leading to yield enhancement with potential income benefits.

Knowledge sharing: To strengthen knowledge sharing mechanisms on feed development strategies at local, regional and international levels

Partners

IFAD Integrated Livelihood Support

Programme

National Agricultural Bank

(NABARD)

District Administration

Anchal

Heifer

SNV

Tanga Fresh

Emerging objectives

More milk sales

More actor-market linkages

More and better feed

Diagnosis targeting of interventions

Delivery of solutions technical/

institutional

Preparing for scale building partnerships,

sensitizing about approach

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rms

at d

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ales

MilkIT activity areas

Interventions

Planting forages in MorogoroPlanting forages in Tanga

Outside of ‘Ololili’Fenced ‘Ololili’

Dry season grazing reserves in

Tanzania pastoral system – end of

rainy season (June’14)

Opportunity for interventions to empower women and improve household

food + nutrition security?

Feed innovations

from Feed IPs in India Reduced feed wastage

– Feed troughs

– Chaff cutters

Improving feed quality/quantity

– Concentrate feed linked with cross

bred cows/ awareness

– Dual purpose crops

– Fodder grasses

Themes for Discussion

– Innovation Platforms to identify (and act

upon) promising solutions to dairy

development

– Linking technical interventions with

market interventions

– Using feed diagnostic and prioritization

tools to target interventions