Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 142 views

    Heifer

    Uploaded by

    InterAction
    The Integrated Dairy Development Project in Albania aimed to transform subsistence farming into sustainable income sources. It donated dairy cows to 400 families and provided training to increase milk yields. It established farmers associations and model farms to improve cooperation, farm management, and marketing. As a result, family incomes increased by $770-1200 per year, milk yields doubled, and associations jointly invested in infrastructure and breeding. Women's participation in decision making also grew. Effective technical assistance and capacity building of farmers and their associations helped create self-reliant communities.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Heifer

    Uploaded by

    InterAction
    142 views19 pages
    The Integrated Dairy Development Project in Albania aimed to transform subsistence farming into sustainable income sources. It donated dairy cows to 400 families and provided training to increase milk yields. It established farmers associations and model farms to improve cooperation, farm management, and marketing. As a result, family incomes increased by $770-1200 per year, milk yields doubled, and associations jointly invested in infrastructure and breeding. Women's participation in decision making also grew. Effective technical assistance and capacity building of farmers and their associations helped create self-reliant communities.

    Copyright

    © Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The Integrated Dairy Development Project in Albania aimed to transform subsistence farming into sustainable income sources. It donated dairy cows to 400 families and provided training to increase milk yields. It established farmers associations and model farms to improve cooperation, farm management, and marketing. As a result, family incomes increased by $770-1200 per year, milk yields doubled, and associations jointly invested in infrastructure and breeding. Women's participation in decision making also grew. Effective technical assistance and capacity building of farmers and their associations helped create self-reliant communities.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    142 views19 pages

    Heifer

    Uploaded by

    InterAction
    The Integrated Dairy Development Project in Albania aimed to transform subsistence farming into sustainable income sources. It donated dairy cows to 400 families and provided training to increase milk yields. It established farmers associations and model farms to improve cooperation, farm management, and marketing. As a result, family incomes increased by $770-1200 per year, milk yields doubled, and associations jointly invested in infrastructure and breeding. Women's participation in decision making also grew. Effective technical assistance and capacity building of farmers and their associations helped create self-reliant communities.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 19

    Integrated Dairy Development Project

    Heifer International Albania

    Interaction Best
    Practices Award

    Washington DC
    14 December 2010
    Heifer International
    • Heifer is a global nonprofit with a tested approach to ending
    hunger and poverty in a sustainable manner

    • Heifer helps empower millions of families to lift them out of


    poverty and hunger through gifts of livestock, seeds and trees
    and extensive training, providing a multiplying source of food
    and income

    • An integral part of the Heifer approach centers around


    Passing on the Gift (POG)

    • Heifer International’s Central and Eastern European (CEE)


    Area Program is an alliance of strong national organizations
    recognized for empowering rural communities across Central
    and Eastern Europe
    Albania

    • 11,100 square miles

    • Population: 3.6 million

    • 58% of population lives in


    rural areas

    • 411,000 farm families

    • Unemployment rate in rural


    areas: up to 45%
    Heifer Albania
    • Country Program established in 1996

    • 6 000 families directly assisted

    • 54 projects implemented

     Partnerships with:

    • Local communities
    • Farmers associations
    • Rural development organizations
    • Ministry of Agriculture
    • Local government
    • Educational institutions
    Heifer Albania Projects

    Alpine Goats projects Dairy Cows projects

    Beekeeping projects Sheep projects


    Integrated Dairy
    Development Project Project
    location

    in Albania
    Project Background
     In 1990 Albania moved from a communist centralized
    economy and farming system to a free trade economy and
    liberalized market

     Farmers’ families received a cow (or other animals) and about


    1.2 hectares of land from ex-cooperatives or state farms

     Farmers are often hesitant to cooperate in groups following


    experiences in state farms
    Project Background
     Insufficient skills and knowledge in farm
    management

     Limited resources and investments in farming

     Large number of small mixed farms at subsistence


    level

     Low levels of animal feeding, breeding and milk


    yields
    Project Goal

     The goal of the “Integrated Dairy


    Development Project” is to:

    • bring more food and income in the


    families

    • transform subsistence farming into


    a sustainable source of income

    • increase farmers’ cooperation


    (organization and marketing)
    Project Objectives

    1. Strengthen self-reliant associations (producer


    organization and marketing capacity)

    2. Improvement of farm management (training and


    technical assistance on dairy farm management
    and gender)

    3. Enhance the economic viability of income


    generating farms
    Activities
    • Donate quality heifers for 400 families

    • Multiply success through Passing on the Gift

    • Provide technical assistance and training in farm


    management

    • Establish 16 model farms to provide training and act as a


    forum to exchange experiences
    Activities
    • Established 4 farmers associations and provided training
    on cooperation, leadership, resource development, dairy
    food chain, business plans and gender issues

    • Supported a number of economic activities: provided 3


    milk cooling tanks, 3 agro-vet shops, and other
    equipment
    Impact

    1. Family Livelihood and Farm Development


     Increased number of animals per farm

    70% of families breed 3-4 cows


    8% breed more than 5 cows per farm

     Enhanced productivity

    milk yield per cow - 4000-6000 liter per lactation

     Increased 85% of income from farms


    770-1200 USD per year per cow

     Increased farmers’ knowledge in farm management, dairy


    food chain and business plans
    Impact
    2. Strengthening of farmers’ Associations

    • Joint economic activities: buying and selling


    together, investing in simple infrastructure
    and equipment

    • Breeding and organized sale of pure breed


    Holstein heifers

    • Associations start providing trainings for


    farmers and influence in building
    partnerships
    Impact

    3. Other Outcomes

    • Participation of women in decision making


    in the community

    • Improved relations within families

    • Involvement of women in financial


    aspects of farms and decision making
    within family
    Lessons Learned
    • Integrated development of dairy farms results in
    improved nutrition, increased income and a sustainable
    development of community

    • Effective technical assistance and capacity building of


    farmers and their associations is translated in a self-
    reliant community providing added value to individual
    farmers

    • Increased cooperation of farmers and improved FAs’


    role results in improved economic activities, marketing
    of products and advocacy for small farmers
    Enabling Factors
    • Well-defined goals

    • Cooperation and partnerships

    • Appropriate evaluation and utilization of resources for


    farm development

    • Presentation of a package of investments integrated


    with trainings and capacity building

    • Improved know-how of farmers

    • Capacity building as a community


    Thank you!
    Any questions?

    You might also like