Genetic Improvement of The Herds of Milk Cows in Madagascar by Use of NRF Genes

Background

The terms of reference of this mission specify the main points to be evaluated, those that correspond to the Five-year plan (2000-2004).

Purpose/objective

- Evaluation of the short and long term impact
- Give recommendations concerning additional interventions that probably will assure a sustainable impact from the project, according to evaluation.

Methodology

Reading reports, field visits, visit farmers' families.

Key findings

• The training in milk production has been touching all the different technical aspects.
• Treatment of the member's sick animals is done through an effective service.
• Import of PRN semen has reached between 6000 and 8000 doses pr year
• Development of the herd book has not reached the expected results
• Collaboration with other dairy organisations in Madagascar is at a low level
• Environment is not affected by the milking cows
• Improvement of the economy of the members can be seen by better housing, better transport facilities, rice milling, trade and artisan processing of dairy products etc
• Improvement in the living conditions for woman and children by better health and ease of hard farm work for children and women by use of hired labour
• Backing of the organisation of the co-operatives is at a low level

Recommendations

• The training in milk production must continue
• Import of PRN semen must continue to keep the breed pure
• Development of the herd book must restart due to the need for documentation
• Collaboration with other dairy organisations in Madagascar must improve and the relations to FIFAMANOR, the private vets and other partners
• Environment: The training how to avoid erosion through grazing and harvesting must continue
• Improvement of the economy of the members continues by training/assistance with sale of animals and regroup the members.
• Improvement in the living conditions for woman and children must continue and include women in the processing procedures/economy.
• Backing of the organisation of the co-operatives for the milk collection points, purchase and sale must expend.

Comments from the organisation

English summary:
The terms of reference of this mission specify the main points to be evaluated, those that correspond to the Five-year plan (2000-2004).

There are two activities that clearly have consumed a larger part of the budget and have been most demanding to the project staff; they are the training of the dairy farmers and the treat¬ment of their sick animals. These two activities appeared to have been very effective for the project.

The training in milk production has been touching all the different technical aspects. It has succeeded in reinforcing the capacity of the farmers in the management of dairy cattle rearing and the protection against diseases to such a degree that the frequency of the illnesses, for example the mastitis, has been strongly reduced. Numerous are the appreciations emanating from different participants in the training sessions offered on targeted subjects as well as the journeys in organised groups.

This training is the most consuming activity on the allocated budget and the available time, which is justified because it has permitted an improvement in the technical capacity of the members. The intellectual level of the members is relatively low and heterogeneous, and this demands more time and funds for the transfer of technological knowledge. In spite of its very high cost, these training sessions are unavoidable, because it guarantees the viability of the dairy farms, and in general their impact on the production is important. It is therefore necessary to pursue these training or retraining sessions destined for the members.

Treatment of the member's sick animals is the second most important activity. According to the members consulted it is also a very effective service. An explanation may be found in these words of the Director: "When our members make a call upon us, one must not leave them waiting for us. One has to go there quickly to take urgent action, because even a single cow constitutes a large capital for the farmer. "Such a service cannot be overvalued, and offered together with a reasonable charge for the visit and the veterinary products; this brings fourth a big allegiance to the NGO amongst the members.

However, the number of new members increases rapidly and the NGO PRN cannot manage to satisfy to the needs of all the producers. For that reason it seems us unavoidable to involve the private practising veterinarians as much as possible in the treatments of dairy cows' diseases as well as the IA. In order to come to a positive conclusion to this proposal it seems necessary to engage oneself in a writing to co-operate with the national and regional associations of the veterinarians. This agreement must probably be accompanied by additional assistance to the veterinarians in order to render their mission possible. The alternative is to foresee an important increase of the employees of technicians in the NGO, but that is not advisable because of the risks to over inflate the project.
Import of PRN semen has reached a level between 6.000 and 8.000 doses per year (objective 11.000 doses). Considering the context we find that satisfactory and it must continue. It is also necessary that the NGO PRN is permitted to begin undertaking IA of the livestock of its members in order to be able to set up of a proper Herd-book and to assure the viability of the project in longer terms. It is not necessary to require that the other agencies in this service leave it, but one should begin to put some inseminators in places where local associations of PRN ask for it, even in compe¬tition with others. The project must also assure the availability of small tools and nitrogen.

Development of the herd book. The initiated activities have not brought the expected results and have been adjourned. It is necessary to restart it with the total involvement of all the inseminators and the private practising veterinarians. For that reason is it all the more necessary that the project offers the AI service to the members, and that people treating diseased cows accept to co-operate and record on the cards all interventions made. It also necessary to oblige the members benefiting from the services offered (AI and treatment of diseases) to update the records over all the daily interventions. Likewise does it seem necessary to organise special training sessions on this topic for the members.
Collaboration with other dairy organisations in Madagascar. It is necessary to improve the relations with FIFAMANOR, the private veterinarians and the other partners in order to strengthen the IA service of the project and to get the Herd-book in place. The NGO PRN should establish contacts with the small artisan dairy processors to strengthen the competition in the market of milk.

Environment. The raising of the dairy cows does not cause any important problems for the environment, especially where the producer has participated in the training offered by the NGO PRN. The project should continue the efforts already invested in this domain.

Improvement of the economy of the members. Official data relating to this point are not available in the annual reports, however the farms visits undertaken allow us to conclude that the services rendered to the members has contributed a lot to an improvement in their income and in the living standard of their families. A good number of them have been able to con¬struct decent lodgings for their families, to exercise some additional activities such as transport, rice milling, trade and the artisan processing of dairy products etc. To promote an improvement in the economic situation, the project must continue the training of its members, to assist with the sale of the animals and to assist the members to regroup them¬selves in order to fight to obtain a better price for their milk.
Improvement in the living conditions for woman and children. One has noted a clear improve¬ment of the living conditions for the women and the children of the members because of the increase in family incomes and its joined management: healthy children in school, easing of the farm works by the presence of the temporary or permanent workers.

The women that have benefited from the training sessions seem very satisfied and wish that this activity will continue in the future, these are in general women at a more advanced learner's level. The women that so far have been unable to follow these training have manifested their interest in participating at a later stage, and the subjects on milk processing interest them particularly.

Backing of the organisation of the co-operatives is only in the beginning. The dairy farmers do not have too much of a co-operative mind, but it begins to change. Some producers in Fianarantsoa and in the Vakinankaratra have created milk collection centres that function currently. This idea now gains more ground among the members of the NGO PRN, for example in Antananarivo. The project should assist in these efforts on offering some training on relevant topics and to assist in the acquisition of the necessary tools, while itself staying out of the processing and the marketing of dairy products.