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Bright Future in Agriculture: Basic Dairy Farm Management Training

28-02-2020

The Bright Future in Agriculture Project that is Managed by MSM recently conducted training on Basic Dairy Farm Management from 18th to 20th February 2020. The training provided by Q-Point took place in Bishoftu and brought together over twenty participants. The classroom (theoretical) segment of the training was provided in Bin International Hotel in Bishoftu Town. For the practical segment, trainees were taken to the Ethiopian Meat and Dairy Industry Development Institute (EMDIDI). The EMDIDI was established with the main objective of meat and dairy sector development and competitiveness of the sector in the global arena.

Milk and dairy foods are healthy and nutrient-rich because of calcium and vitamin D as well as protein and other nutrients. They also provide phosphorous, potassium, magnesium and vitamin A, B12 and riboflavin. Recent study shows that Ethiopia holds large potential for dairy development and that the dairy sub-sector possesses potential for income and employment generation from high-value dairy products. The same study reveals that the dairy sub-sector contributes 63 per cent to the total value of ruminant output, but that the sub-sector has been underfunded due to an underestimation of livestock contribution. Dairy production in Ethiopia is constrained by several factors classified as technical, biological, socio-economic and institutional and others .

It is in recognition of the above mentioned potential of the dairy sub-sector that Bright Future in Agriculture strives to contribute to reinvigorating the different actors within the sub-sector, especially agricultural technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions. Under this overarching goal, the Basic Dairy Farm Management Training summoned professionals engaged in the dairy sub-sector, especially academic staff of agricultural TVET colleges, to offer theoretical and practical trainings for four days.

The trainees represented Alage, Holeta, Wukro, Bako, Kombolcha, Woreta, Merawi and Wolaita Sodo TVET colleges. The general feedback from trainees on the training was positive, and in particular, emphasized an appreciation for the practical training offered at EMDIDI.

Bright Future in Agriculture
The project concentrates on the dairy and horticulture sub-sector, which both have huge economic opportunities. The Ethiopian government is building five agro-parks and has divided the country into six major corridors for horticulture. The agro processing parks are expected to create over 100,000 jobs and are very useful for sound links with agricultural TVETs: giving access to hands-on education and supplying qualified exposed graduates. BFA will strengthen the colleges to be able to serve the agro-industry.

Nuffc Orange Knowledge Programme
This project is part of the Orange Knowledge Programme. Nuffic OKP contributes to a society’s sustainable and inclusive development by providing access to education and training for professionals and organisations in technical vocational education and training (TVET) and higher education. It is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of its development cooperation policy. The subsidy programme is managed by Nuffic, a Dutch non-profit organisation for internationalisation in education. It offers funding for long-term, demand-driven partnerships between Dutch knowledge institutions and organisations in 19 participating countries, as well as individual scholarships and Tailor-Made Trainings in all 53 selected countries. The € 195-m, five-year programme ends mid-2022, enabling tens of thousands to change their future. From the Dutch development cooperation policy, 4 priority themes have been selected on which to focus in the programme: Food and Nutrition Security; Water, Energy and Climate; Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights; and Security and Rule of Law. Cross-cutting themes in this programme are inclusion, employability and environmental sustainability.

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