MAIL Dairy Technical Mission to India
FAO Afghanistan in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock is currently implementing the ‘Dairy Industry Development’ sub component of Community Livestock and Agriculture Project focusing on investment in milk collection, processing and marketing through formation of primary and secondary cooperatives. The project builds on the previous successful experiences of integrated dairy development schemes in Afghanistan and is implementing activities aimed at strengthening national capacity in dairy processing and marketing at village, district and provincial levels. In addition, the project aims to strengthen MAIL’s efforts to promote and regulate the dairy sector.
In December 2015, a MAIL dairy technical delegation led by H.E Deputy Minister Abdul Qadeer Jawad conducted a mission to the IndiaNational Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Anand. FAO also participated in the mission.
The mission’s objectives were to (1) Initiate the process of establishing an Afghan NDDB and National Federation of Dairy Unions working on the architecture. (2) Explore the possibility of assistance with capacity building of basic and middle level dairy technical staff through fellowships for short – term, masters and PhD programmes (3)Discuss opportunities for support with the development of a Regulatory Framework and Legislation, food safety regulations and related laboratory capacity for the Afghan dairy sector(4)Explore sources of various dairy industries inputs and supplies such as dairy equipment and materials, veterinary vaccines, medicines and quality frozen bull semen straws that could be procured for the Afghan dairy sector.To achieve these objectives supportwill be required from the India NDDB, which expressed willingness to collaborate, mentor and partner with the proposed Afghan NDDB.
The delegation received extensive presentations on the history and model of the cooperative dairy sector in India. It was also appraised of the World Bank / Government of India funded National Dairy Planand the NDDB livestock breeding and artificial insemination (AI) programmes. The India NDDB runs one of the largest bull stations in the world in Gujarat state. Frozen bull semen produced at the station is made available to dairy farmers through various AI programmes. Indigenous Indian breeds are used in the dairy crossbreeding programmes that also use exotic germplasm. There is an opportunity for Afghanistan to import frozen bull semen from India for use in ongoing breeding programmes.Several opportunities exists for collaboration covering trainings in various dairy sectortechnical aspects. India has many dairy training institutions that are willing to enroll Afghan students.
H.E Deputy Minister Mr Abdul Jawad expressed his gratitude to the NDDB for their hospitality and hosting the mission including the recent all women mission. He also outlined MAIL’s willingness to collaborate with the India NDDBon Afghan dairy sectorindustry development in order to benefit from their vast experience in dairy development.
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