Improving milk production and its marketing in rural Sindh, Pakistan

Efficient Marketing System

SAGP has contributed towards the aggregation of farmers. The project has helped to structure the supply chain of milk which can have a direct impact on the quality and price of milk. The system of milk collection has also become more reliable due to the installation of milk chillers, and the project has helped improve market access for small and medium-sized producers, helping them sell their milk at better prices and minimize the extra costs of a middle man.

Highlighting the difficulties of rural people, Dr. Ashok Kumar, the senior veterinary officer, said, "People of this village had cattle and milk production, but they never marketed their products well. So, unsurprisingly, there was no sale."

Now farmers can sell their milk directly and save time. "In the past, we had to go all the way to the city to sell milk which cost us a lot of money. The profit too was unfavorable. Now we sell milk at Milk Producer Group (MPG) centers very near to our villages at good rates which helps us save money," said a beneficiary.

Spreading the benefits of better livestock management

The project also improved livestock management among its beneficiary farmers. Implementing three awareness trainings to both male and female farmers for each MPG center, the project raised awareness for best farming practices, cleanliness of animal yards, farm level diagnostic tests, and diseased animal management. A total of 3075 farmers from 20 MGPs benefited from the trainings covering feeds and fodder, animal health management, and animal reproduction, breeding and genetic improvement, including the benefits of artificial insemination and expanded access to ultrasound machines to improve reproduction in livestock.

SAGP established 484 livestock management training departments for its beneficiaries, which included both farmers and members of government institutions in charge of trainings, and the project rehabilitated 121 veterinary units.

To date, approximately 5753 farmers have benefited from livestock management trainings. The 203 Livestock Department staff equipped to deliver trainings will continue to provide extension services during field visits for vaccination and treatments to villages. Moreover, over 100 farmers and the staff of the Livestock Department were trained to implement artificial insemination to contribute to the breed improvement program, and utrasound training was offered to 76 beneficiaries. 18 beneficiaries beneficiaries have had the opportunity to visit state-of-the-art livestock training centers overseas: to Zimbabwe to observe Holistic Land and Livestock Management design and implementation; to Turkey to learn Dairy Farming practices, Dairy Machinery preparation factories; camel farming in the UAE; and Kenya's established dairy value chain.

SAGP has helped in rescuing the unique traits of the two main breeds of the cows found in Tharparkar district. One is 'Thari' and the other is 'Concrej.' Regarding this matter, Dr. Ashok Kumar said, "Tharkparkar cattle is losing its original traits by crossing with other breeds. Now we have promoted it through Artificial Insemination."

An Artificial Insemination Training Center at Tandojam is making a difference in restoring the original traits of Sindh's native breeds. Dr. Abdullah Sethar, deputy director, said, "This Artificial Insemination Center was developed in August 2019. We started offering Artificial Insemination training here. We have already trained 762 families, veterinarians, paramedics, and breeders in this center."

Trainings have also helped improved milk production. Previously, cows produced around 4.1 liters of milk and buffaloes produced 5.2 liters. By following the best practices learnt during various trainings, farmers increased the production of milk to 5.1 and 6.9 liters, respectively.

Beneficiary Abdul Aleem Soomro commented on how adopting new techniques resulted in a high milk yield. He said, "Our local cows had low milk yield. A practical demonstration was given to us and we changed our ways of breeding livestock. This has already started creating noticeable results."

Creating more jobs

The project not only strengthened milk production and its supply chain in the Rural Sindh, but also benefitted people in other ways, by creating jobs in other sectors.

5753 MPG members were able to upgrade their skills through three trainings. Additionally, 40 milk sell points were established by MPG members, with each outlet staffed by three farmers from the center's local village. Each milk outlet has provided employment opportunities to the local village, as 149 milk technicians are employed to collect and dispatch milk across these MPG collection centers.