MilkIT Advisory Council Meeting Dehradun 02/12/13

1. MilkITAdvisory Council MeetingDehradun 02/12/13 Activity update Thanammal Ravichandran, Nils Teufel & team

2. MilkIT objectives Institutional strengthening: To strengthen use of value chain and innovation approaches among dairy stakeholders to improve market integration and efficiency. 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 value chain and feed development strategies at local, regional and international levels

3. Meeting objectives • Activities last 6 months • Group discussion • How can we improve the participation of stakeholders/institutions in innovation platforms/ feed level interventions • What is the sustainability of the innovation platform? • How can we scale out the success of the IP platforms and their innovations

4. Update so far…… Village census Site selection- 2 clusters/district Household census Constraint analysis Feed Assessment Tool (FEAST) IP (Innovation platform) platform meetings Marketing and feed interventions

5. IP approach state dairy co-operative (Aanchal) national NGO (BAIF, breed improvement) IFAD staff farmers Innovation platform DVC Partner NGOs veterinary officer block & district administration Missing: private sector!

6. IP meetings 1 dairy value chain IP and 2 feed IP/ district Regular meetings every 3 months at cluster level Follow-up meetings in villages Implementation of interventions developed and agreed at IP meetings (action plan) New feed IP established (Joshigaon) after Chhona decided not to continue

7. Marketing interventions - Sult • Successes • Linkage with AANCHAL • One collection point in Baseri which covers 3 villages (Baseri, Sutholiand Musoli) since Feb • Two collection points started this month in Besarbagarh (3 villages) and Gehnaheet (2 villages) • Breed improvement- 2 CB animals through AH department, Aanchal- proposal sent for 2 mini-dairy • Concentrate feed supply by Aanchal • Medicines for the members • Limitations/constraints • Lack of monitoring for secretary- farmers decreased giving milk in Baseri. Through IP meeting the issue was solved: training of all farmers how to check fat and lacto meter • This is practiced in new areas- creating awareness- not one person shop-its producer co-operative

9. Marketing interventions - Bageshwar • Bageshwar • Jeganathco-operative active since Feb 2013 • Own sales point in Bageshwar • 11 villages, 102 farmers, 90-100 litres of milk/day • >INR 50,000 profit to co-operative after operational cost • Profit distributed only to suppliers • Consumers prefer buffalo milk • Demand also for milk products - cow milk ghee • Cream separator purchased by co-operative to support processing • Input/support • 14 CB cow introduced through NABARD/AH support for innovative farmers • Feed support from AANCHAL • Veterinary support from AH/ KVK

11. Feed interventions - 1 • Dual-purpose cereals • wheat/ barley /maize /oat /finger millet • From VPKAS technical support • For fodder in winter/ more fodder and grain • Easy acceptance/agreement • Napier grass • Source VPKAS, AH dept for Sult • NABARD support for van panchayatdevelopment- Napier plantation (5 tons) - Bageshwar • Setaria grass • Seed source from Palampur university • Not germinated- seed viability? More rain?

12. Feed interventions - 2 • Feed trough/feed drums • For prevention of fodder wastage- recently started • NABARD support in Bageshwar • Chaff cutter • Failure of typical manual chaff cutter- labour requirement • Small knife developed - acceptance is good • Will try the chaff cutter from Gujarat • Hay stacking/ Silage • Started in Saing and Garikhet village- early adopters • Treatment with molasses and urea • Will try for 3-4/ farmers for 10-15 vill.- preference of farmers • Analysis of grass after treatment

13. Silage Napier Feed trough Demo silage Silage pack

14. Knowledge sharing • Staff training • Pant Nagar veterinary college (3 days) • Staff from both partner organisations trained • Feed, breed and disease management and economic importance of dairy farming • Exposure visit • Gujarat, AMUL • Mehsana and Kaira dairy plant • Feed plant and breeding station • Exposure to various chaff cutters, feed management • Visit to villages • Farmers’ exposure visit • Donoiri dairy co-operative (Aanchal) – success in feed production • Pant Nagar, kishanmela (farmers’ fair)

16. Discussion 1 • JyotsenaSitling: • Chopping is difficult when tree leaves and branches are fed • Napier requires proper replanting every 3y • Fodder crops only successful where off-farm income • Who looks into animal health and breeding issues? • CAMPA is interested to support grass-land improvement on van panchayat land • DV Singh: • Timing is crucial in AI (buff, xbred); farmers have to be trained to expect examination before insemination • Form of feed offered is important (simple chaff cutter) • Timing of feeding is important (no feeding during rumination)

17. Discussion 2 • Kailash Bhatt: • Because Ajeeveeka had problems running dairy shop they now have agreement with private trader collecting milk from federations. Price is good, trader has invested in vehicle, other products also traded (e.g. vegetables) • Rajeev Singhal: • What will make private traders join IPs? What are effective incentives?

18. Discussion 3 • KamleshLururani: • Recently visited the new co-operative in Bageshwar • Most important for sustainability are • Payment transparency (bank accounts preferable) • Effective and efficient governance structures • Transparency in profit sharing • CD Tyagi: • Loose milk marketing is efficient and accepted by consumers • But laws prohibit it for formal milk marketing • Food safety hazards increased when not chilled • Mangers are urgently required but have to be appropriate

19. Discussion 4 • Thanammal Ravichandran: • Various institutions have promoted mangers (NABARD) • MilkIT has supported mangers with INR 500-1000 to test new models (bricks, aluminium drums, plastic drums?) – will distribute documentation and pictures • SonaliBisht: • Food safety laws are changing and becoming more stringent; need to check how they affect dairy development innovations initiated by IPs • Especially, how is loose milk marketing affected?

20. Group discussion 1: How can we create ownership of innovation platforms to make them more sustainable? 2: How can we make dairy innovation platforms more attractive to milk buyers? 3: What is the potential of private grasslands for increasing fodder supply and reducing labour requirements and which are most promising technologies for improvement?

21. Group 1 KamleshGururani, Rajeev Singhal, DV Singh

22. Group discussion results 1a Next IP meeting to be hosted by co-operative(in Bageshwar) Other projects (ILSP, Himmothan) should supportco-operative becoming owner of IP In the remaining year of MilkIT this transfer of ownership should have priority Cooperative Department could be invited to support capacity strengthening Disseminate collected documents and experiences to local and state departments and institutions Identify opportunities to continue with electronic cloud-based documentation (GoogleDrive)

23. Group discussion results 1b • From plenary • How to ensure that owning institution does not only have self-interest (e.g. producers)? • Try to replicate success of ATMA in cropping also in dairy, establish an appropriate legal framework (cooperatives/producer organisations) • Learn from successful models, but ensure that they are appropriate. What to adapt from the Anand model?

24. Group 2 CD Tyagi, Kailash Bhatt, GC Barthurah, Shankar

25. Group discussion results 2a Quantity and quality has to meet buyers expectations More facilities for breeding & health management Improved marketing facilities (chilling, advertising, payment systems, collection timings, packaging, timely availability of milk to consumers) Stable and efficient institutional set-up (village groups, federations; proper & transparent quality control) Better incentives to buyers

26. Group discussion results 2b • From plenary • Private traders would be attracted if they would see future benefit • They would have to see opportunities for engaging in increased milk trade themselves (How to learn from Almora example?)

27. Group 3 SonaliBisht, DS Rawat, KuldeepThapliyal

28. Group discussion results 3a Under-utilised private land in villages (migration, labour shortages, other income sources). How to use this land for livestock purposes? Cultivable waste-land could be leased to dairy groups Silvi-pastural systems could be tried on private lands (grasses and trees; requires less labour) Improved grass species would increase production Silage would help with maintaining nutritive quality and could also be sold Water harvesting structures could help with productivity of grass-lands Planting of Napier on bunds also has disadvantages through competition with crops; planting on terrace risers could be more efficient Planting of fodder trees along water channels in waste-lands improve efficiency

29. Group discussion results 3b From plenary Control of grazing / fencing Is white clover an option? Is it persistent? Fertilisation (urea from helicopter?) Introduce improved fodder from grass-land in enterprise mode Rather oats/barley that wheat for dual-purpose

30. Closing remarks The implementation of research for development is promising The learning from existing examples but also the own initiative by local organisations is a good way forward. Project implementation should involve various stakeholders and institutions to be successful and sustainable.

31. Participants