DAIRY FARMERS UPGRADE THEIR KNOWLEDGE THROUGH FARMER FIELD SCHOOLS

The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), through the newly-launched dairy project dubbed “Rwanda Dairy Development Project (RDDP),” is equipping livestock farmers with new skills that will enable them to professionalize dairy industry; thus boosting milk production in the project intervention areas.

The capacity building of the dairy farmers kicked off with 65 farmers from 12 districts in the RDDP intervention areas – and the first 12-day refresher training winded up on September 14, 2017 in Huye District. The trained farmers are expected to initiate Livestock Farmer Field Schools (L-FFS) groups in their villages in a bid to share acquired knowledge with their neighbors during this season.

According to the project officials, the establishment and development of L-FFS for 80,000 smallholder’s dairy farmers and 15,400 farm assistants, will build on the “Twigire Muhinzi” programme which was successfully implemented by the RAB in collaboration with the Belgian Technical Cooperation. The L-FFS Masters Trainers and L-FFS Facilitators trained by this programme will be attached to the RDDP in addition to those that will be trained by the project.

The training sessions focused on the adoption of improved technologies and practices in dairy farming and milk handling using practical learning methodologies to help dairy farmers and farm assistants acquire and develop their knowledge, attitudes, and behavior in dairy management.

Specific attention was paid to animal nutrition including forage and forage seeds production, hay storage and conservation (hay, silage, etc.), complementary and strategic feeding and feeding strategy, water requirement, and water mobilization, among others.

Other subjects include animal health, animal genetic resources management, milk handling and hygiene, climate smart technologies, heat detection, animal identification and performance recording, and the like. Skills was developed in group formation and management – which provided a basis for strengthening downstream dairy cooperatives – basic literacy and numeracy skills and record keeping.

Claver Gasirabo, the Coordinator of IFAD-funded projects, said that RDDP will help the dairy farmers to get fodder seeds so that they can grow enough fodder crops during this season to ensure a good stock of feedstuff during dry season. He also called upon the trained FFS facilitators to take the advantage of the new skills they acquired to transform Rwanda’s dairy industry.

RDDP, the six-year project officially launched in March this year, funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), seeks to reach slightly over 100,00 resource-poor rural households; of whom 80,000 will be involved in dairy farming and 20,000 in national wealth ranking system (Ubudehe), and consistent with the targeting strategy laid off-farm activities along the dairy value chain.

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