1. Project progress and outlook Bhupandra Singh Rana (INHERE), Kuldeep Thapliyal (CHIRAG) Thanammal Ravichandran, Nils Teufel (ILRI) MilkIT – Advisory Council Meeting #3 07/06/2013 Almora, India

2. Introduction – Thanammal (ILRI) MilkIT 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

3. Introduction – Thanammal (ILRI) Meeting objectives Overview of activities last 6 months Group discussion  What will be taken by Advisory Council members from the project?  What outputs the projects should deliver? How it will be used?  How would you measure the success of the project?

4. Introduction – Thanammal (ILRI) Election of Chairperson Chairperson selected: Sonali Bisht - INHERE

5. Progress overview – Thanammal (ILRI) Activities so far Village census Cluster selection: 2 clusters/district Household census Constraint analysis FEAST IP (Innovation platform) platform meetings Marketing and feed interventions

6. Progress overview – Thanammal (ILRI) Innovation background Infrastructure Actor institutions Capable individuals Supporting institutions Interaction network Technologies Innovations

7. Progress overview– Thanammal (ILRI) Innovation platform - dairy partner NGOs Innovation Platform-Dairy VC state dairy co-operative (Aanchal) block & district administration IFAD staff veterinary officer national NGO (BAIF, breed improvement) farmers Innovation platform actors Missing: private sector!

8. Progress overview – Thanammal (ILRI) IP meetings 1 dairy value chain (DVC) IP and 2 feed IP in each block (district) Constraints analysis/ issues identification Regular meetings every 3 months for each IP Follow up meetings in villages Implementation of interventions developed from action plan agreed at IP meeting

9. Sult – Rana (INHERE) Institutional strengthening Household survey of 12 selected and 43 non selected village. Formation of feed IP clusters Barkinda and Titoli 19 meetings/ 4 workshops organized with village communities. Exposure visit to Dunagiri (Aanchal) Participation by staff in SHGs meetings. FEAST of 12 project area villages. 2 dairy village co-ops formed (Baseri, Besarbagad)

10. Sult – Rana (INHERE) Institutional strengthening Mapping of development and innovation actors. Formation of dairy innovation platform and two feed innovation platforms. One farmer experience sharing workshop

11. Sult – Rana (INHERE) Productivity enhancement Formation and meetings of two feed innovation platforms Identification of nutritional, seasonal and quality feed constraints. Van Panchayat Project for grassland improvement in progress - support by forest dept 200 grass samples from 100 farmers sent for nutritional value analysis 15 kg grass seeds (Dolni and Rai) distributed among 28 farmers (demand for more)

12. Sult – Rana (INHERE) Productivity enhancement Introduction of cattle feed and concentrate (Aanchal) Introduction of two improved dairy cows at 1 dairy co-op (from AH dept) Breeding AI & Natural by improved buffalos recommended to farmers

13. Sult – Rana (INHERE) Knowledge sharing Dairy farming problems discussed with village community in regular meetings/workshops/interactions Experience sharing workshops of project personnel Capacity building training of staff in FEAST, value chain development, dairy value chain analysis

14. Bageshwar – Kuldeep (CHIRAG) Institutional strengthening Dairy Value Chain Innovation Platform Several active dairies: Aanchal, IFAD/federations, Jaghnath dairy Follow-up of the meetings: resolution implementation Regular village interactions Challenge: Interest creation among government actors & Chhona community members

15. Bageshwar – Kuldeep (CHIRAG) Institutional strengthening Jaghnath dairy (initiative by CHIRAG & Ajeevika) currently dealing with 75l/milk/d, Kathpuryachina 65l/d & Devaldar 10 lit/d total (Feb-May 2013): 6291 kg milk, 235 kg curd, 132 kg whey INR 30,000 profit in four months Challenges: control and monitoring of milk quality storage/processing of unsold milk increase milk from Devaldar

16. Bageshwar – Kuldeep (CHIRAG) Productivity enhancement Feed IP Meetings first round with follow-up meetings completed Providing cattle feed (30qtl) Improvement of common & private grass-land 3 species of temperate grass seeds received (guchhi, perennial rye, tall fescue)

17. Bageshwar – Kuldeep (CHIRAG) Productivity enhancement Animal breeding Breed improvement via two para-vets Animal health Ayurvedic medicine: Afara, Damdi & Khuria powder etc.

18. Bageshwar – Kuldeep (CHIRAG) Knowledge sharing Data collection Village PRA on feeds & problems in 12 clusters. Individual PRA were done among 29 HHs

19. Bageshwar – Thanammal (IRLI) Site issues – Chhona No progress in IP interventions- marketing FEAST- outcome Scarce crop / grass-land due to mining industry High migration & employment, no labour for livestock High cost of collecting/purchasing grass Most milk is sold to (employed) neighbours within village Little scope for fodder production, crop land for food Only potential feed interventions: grass conservation & fodder chopping to reduce waste Selection of new cluster for feed IP

20. Bageshwar – Thanammal (IRLI) Site (re-)selection Assessed other mid-clusters for Interest in increasing dairy production & income Availability of resources (land, livestock, labour) Accessibility for marketing Result Joshigaon (Joshigaon & Garikhet) NABARD water-shed programme (fodder development)

21. ILRI – Nils (ILRI) CRP livestock & fish: value chain development dairy in India (Bihar, Assam, Odisha) MilkIT in Tanzania Existing dairy platform in Tanga New dairy platform in Morogoro Consultancy reports, current status Site selection with MoreMilkIT FEAST Challenge: Field implementation partners

22. Group discussion Questions 1.What will you take from MilkIT? Who will take what? Any commitments? 2.Which outputs do you wish MilkIT to deliver (by which date)? How will these outputs be used? 3.How will you assess the success of MilkIT? How will success be measured?

23. Group discussion Questions – revised during meeting Because we only had 7 non-project participants we merged 1. & 2. 1.What will you take from MilkIT? (Who will take what/commitments?) Which outputs do you wish MilkIT to deliver (by which date)? How will these outputs be used? 2.How will you assess the success of MilkIT? How will success be measured?

24. Group discussion Results – Group 1&2 Breeding 1: Major Awareness of AI in selected clusters Buffalo breeding policies How to manage cattle bulls Rawat: Four stakeholders (policy makers, research institutions, implementing agencies, farmers): identify altitude adapted dairy breeds

25. Group discussion Results – Group 1&2 Breeding 2: Minor Identification of interested beneficiaries Make use of existing institutions for demonstration (e.g. IVRI Mukteshwar, NDIR Karnal Group meetings enable interactions Altitude adaption is necessary (stabilising local breed) Technological adaptation & refinement

26. Group discussion Results – Group 1&2 Feeding 1 Major Year-round provision of fodder Minor Better use of crop residues (wheat, rice, barn-yard millet) Seed (dual-purpose cereals) provision – in time for sowing Support introduction of more productive summer grass varieties (sita, pangola, tall fescue, perennial rye, grass-land manava (rain-fed grass)) Legume fodder: lobia High mass grasses: maize (african tall, russian giant) sorghum (MP Cheri, Pant Cheri), pearl millet (bajra)

27. Group discussion Results – Group 1&2 Feeding 2 Use zone-wise fodder Provide and disseminate results from grass samples Health Timely vaccination and deworming of animals Management Develop sustainability fund within projects or other sustainable structures

28. Group discussion Results – Group 1&2 Marketing (Aanchal): Examples of successful marketing institutions which can be replicated by other organisations Strategy for value-added products Compare milk qualities from various breeds /feeding systems Overall Develop a package of practices and circulate (feeding, breeding, market development, management, health)

29. Group discussion Results – Group 3 What will be the success of the project? How many households have benefitted, especially through increased incomes? How has productivity increased, especially in regard to fodder production and feed supply? Farmers capacity, e.g. keeping records, use of ICT Introduction and adoption of new grass species Better feeding practices (stall-feeding, concentrates) Breed improvement: How many improved animals have been produced?

30. Group discussion Results – Group 3 Marketing: How much has it changed / improved? Have value added products been introduced? Market access; how has it improved Food security Contribution to food security and better nutrition? Employment Later: Increase of employment

31. Group discussion Results – Group 3 Institutions Which structures have been included / developed to sustain the activities? How many other organisations have been involved and are continuing with these activities? Positive impact on policy decisions Scale-out How far are project interventions adopted within the project sites and taken up out-side by other organisations or in control sites?

32. Outlook – Thanammal (ILRI) Exposure visit: Anand, Gujarat (Aanchal support) Promotion of grasses: Napier, Thysoluenia, Kucchi, Rye & Broom grass Fertilization of grass-lands Introduction of legumes Reduction of fodder waste: chaff cutter / feed trough Concentrate feeding

33. Final discussion - results Visit to Anand – what can small-holders learn? Entrepreneurship is the main objective, but it should not be technology over-kill. Concentrate feeding: Assess local components (including traditional practices) and compare to various other options Fodder conservation options (silage?)