Improving milk production by effectively transferring knowledge to dairy farmers

IESC builds sustainable development pathways to empower Sri Lankan dairy entrepreneurs

Sri Lanka’s Northwestern Province is the second-largest milk-producing region in the country, and its dairy farmers are central to the country’s efforts to increase milk production. The Market-Oriented Dairy (MOD) project, funded by the USDA Food for Progress program and implemented by Improving Economies, Strengthening Communities (IESC), has been promoting dairy entrepreneurship in the region since 2018 by improving farmers’ technical knowledge through training and mentoring.

Witnessing this change in dairy entrepreneurship, Dr. BCS Perera, Director of the Provincial Department of Animal Production and Health (DAPH), and his team partnered with IESC to develop the Empowering Dairy Entrepreneurs through Technical Assistance program. The program aims to provide technical training and mentoring opportunities to more dairy farmers in the region. To support these efforts, IESC implemented a train-the-trainer program for 175 veterinarians and livestock development mentors in the second half of 2021. The training provided participants with extensive knowledge on training delivery methods, adult learning theories, trainer qualities, and persuasive techniques. In two years, these trainers have trained 2,814 dairy farmers.

During a monitoring visit, a dairy farmer from the North-West Province shared his experience of transitioning from extensive to intensive management and the benefits of calf separation.
Image source: DAPH-NWP Media

IESC has helped to build the capacity of 11,093 farmers through direct training and train-the-trainer activities provided by DAPH and cooperating dairy processing companies. Building the capacity of local institutions and dairy processing companies across Sri Lanka will enable these entities to continue to provide better extension services to dairy farmers after the MOD project ends.

“This experience was an eye-opener for us. My team now agrees that it is possible to equip farmers with knowledge and incentivize them to adopt best management practices to increase milk production without the commitment of subsidized commodities as was done in the past. The Department of Defence’s results-based extension approach is a huge breakthrough.” -Dr. BCS Perera, DAPH Provincial Director – North West Province

IESC recently completed an assessment of 310 farms led by 12 IESC-trained livestock development trainers, which showed a 41% increase in milk production. In addition, 61% of the assessed farmers adopted at least six dairy best practices, such as proper calf management, silage making, and feed requirements. Through the MOD project, IESC will continue to support livestock development trainers to fine-tune farm development plans and improve extension services and tools to increase adoption of best practices and ultimately double milk production in the region by April 2024.

The Market Oriented Dairy (MOD) project in Sri Lanka is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food for Progress program and implemented by IESC. The project aims to double the milk production of participating dairy farmers and enable them to receive higher premiums for fresh milk through interventions that focus on improving their technical knowledge and fostering entrepreneurial and business-oriented thinking. The project also supports businesses along the dairy value chain to meet the needs of the country’s dairy industry to promote sustainable growth. University of Florida is a sub-partner of the project.