George Ramsbottom, Dairy Specialist in Teagasc Oakpark, joined Stuart Childs on this week’s Dairy Edge podcast to speak about his recent trip to Kenya.
George went to visit a masters student Michael O’Loughlin who is evaluating the efficiency of the extension programme being run by a charity called Development Pamoja.
George explains how cows in Kenya aren’t large producers mainly driven by lack of availability of water and mediocre quality feed.
George went on to tell of the discussion groups in Kenya also operating as savings groups and how they can borrow money from the group.
The involvement of Development Pamoja charity in terms of providing money has increased their capacity to access funding to develop their farms.
George says that the power and value of extension or advisory services can’t be underestimated with it being clear that those who engaged with their advisory services were making progress in achieving their objectives which in most cases was to simply provide enough for the their own families and to provide food security for their neighbours who in many cases were buying what surplus milk was available to feed their own families.
Source: Agriculture and Food Development Authority