The MilkIT project in India and Tanzania
Alan Duncan
MilkIT Final Project Workshop, Lushoto, Tanzania, 9-10 December 2014
Enhancing dairy-based livelihoods in India and Tanzania through feed innovation and
value chain development approaches

Origins

Origins
FAP-FIP projects
– Experimenting with IS approaches
– FIP – theoretical
– FAP – practical
• Innovation Platforms
• Feed tools
• Practical interventions (the smell of
livestock)
• Nested scales – local, regional, national
• Knowledge flow laterally and vertically

Fodder Adoption Project
2007-2010

Locations

Livestock and Fish – global value chains

Livestock and Fish – global value chains

Locations
India and Tanzania
– Controversial not to pursue activities in
any of the original FAP locations
– Strong push from L&F – test case for
locating projects around L&F priorities
– In India IFAD pushed for Uttarakhand
because of ILSP
– In Tanzania IFAD were keen on
Zanzibar but it didn’t fit with L&F
priorities – some tension between CG
and IFAD priorities

Objectives

Objectives
 Institutional strengthening: To strengthen use
of value chain and innovation approaches
among dairy stakeholders to improve feeding
strategies for dairy cows.
 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 feed development
strategies at local, regional and international
levels

Objectives
 Institutional strengthening: To strengthen use
of value chain and innovation approaches
among dairy stakeholders to improve feeding
strategies for dairy cows.
 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 feed development
strategies at local, regional and international
levels
Technologies
+ institutions

Objectives
 Institutional strengthening: To strengthen use
of value chain and innovation approaches
among dairy stakeholders to improve feeding
strategies for dairy cows.
 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 feed development
strategies at local, regional and international
levels
Technologies
+ institutions
Value chain
focus

Objectives
 Institutional strengthening: To strengthen use
of value chain and innovation approaches
among dairy stakeholders to improve feeding
strategies for dairy cows.
 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 feed development
strategies at local, regional and international
levels
Technologies
+ institutions
Value chain
focus
Nested
scales

Objectives
 Institutional strengthening: To strengthen use
of value chain and innovation approaches
among dairy stakeholders to improve feeding
strategies for dairy cows.
 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 feed development
strategies at local, regional and international
levels
Technologies
+ institutions
Value chain
focus
Knowledge
exchange
Nested
scales

Legacy

Legacy
What have we learned in MilkIT that
will influence other initiatives?
– FEAST – Pakistan AIS, ICARDA North
Africa ….
– Humidtropics – IP thinking
– Anchal, ILSP, CHIRAG, INHERE
– L&F Tz

International

International
Cross-country learnings
– TZ
• not a strong milk culture
• Reasonably productive environment
• Links with IFAD programmes – challenging
– India (Uttarakhand)
• Milk country
• Marginal environment
• Obvious links to IFAD programme

Livestock
institutional
environment

Livestock institutional
environment
Tz
– Agro-pastoral – cultural barriers to
cultivation
– IP’s - quick to move to structure
– Dominance of one milk buyer – Tanga
Fresh
India
– Rich actor landscape
– Strong tradition of farmer organization –
SHG’s
– Women to the fore

Interventions

Interventions
Tz - seasonality, scarcity
– Improvement of pasture resources
– Planted forages
– Forage conservation
India – scarcity, quality
– Feed troughs
– Chopping of crop residue
– Supplementary feed