Maziwa Zaidi (More Milk) in Tanzania: Best-bet
Technologies and Innovations
Dairy Farmer Assistant (DFA) extension model
Elizaphan James O. Rao
Key messages and solutions
• Appropriate extension approaches are needed to address
knowledge gaps among smallholder dairy farmers
• DFA model enables farmers to share a qualified dairy manager
that visits their farms regularly to offer management and
targeted advisory services
• Payment for services is checked off milk proceeds
• This enhances uptake of technology by farmers, leading to
increased productivity and supply of milk
Opportunities and benefits
• For milk aggregators/buyers, DFA model increases knowledge
base of your farmers, ensuring that they produce and supply you
with more milk.
• For input suppliers and service providers, the model ensures that
farmers are informed of appropriate technologies, leading to
increased demand for inputs, technologies and services.
• This innovation would be attractive for: groups of service
providers (joint enterprises), milk buyers (processors,
cooperatives, etc.)
Needed: Cooperative with active members marketing their milk
through the cooperative and payment for service implemented via
check-off
Pictures
Suitability
• Cooperatives with many members marketing milk through the cooperative
• Farmers have access to inputs and services to enhance application of acquired
knowledge
• Farmers appreciate value for extension services
• Payment for extension be preferably financed from commodity proceeds
Evidence
• Evidence show that DFA approach is effective in mobilizing milk
for aggregation centers
• When applied correctly, the model increases application of
appropriate husbandry practices and improved technologies,
leading to milk yields and supply.
• The model needs to link to an active milk aggregation unit to
facilitate check-off services for payment of services
• The service is provided by a group of qualified extension
providers coming together to deliver the service to farmers
organized into groups groups/cooperative.
This document has a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. October 2019
Problem statement
• General lack of knowledge on important husbandry practices
among smallholder dairy farmers.
• Yet public extension services is limited in reach, and often
general and non-targeted
• This compromises farm productivity and milk supplies leading
to inefficient dairy businesses
Maziwa Zaidi thanks all donors and organizations which globally support the work of ILRI and its partners through their contributions to the CGIAR system
Resource requirements (low to high, between 1 and 5)
Land
Water
Labour
Cash
Access to inputs
Knowledge and skills
Impact areas (low to high, between 1 and 5)
Food security
Nutrition and food safety
Youth empowerment
Women empowerment
Livelihoods
Market access and linkages
Outcome difficulty (low to high, between 1 and 5)
Business profitability
Environmental sustainability
Youth empowerment
Women empowerment