The DAIRYCHAIN team was privileged by the visit of the US Embassy Agriculture Counselor, Ms.Kate Snipes.The Counselor visited the programme’s zero grazing unit and the Dairy Goats Improvement Centre. It could vividly be seen from her choice of words that she was deeply impressed by our activities and the progress that we are making. From this we can hardly forget to say that we are definitely on the right track, making the realization of our goals and objectives not so far from being reached. She noted that the black cloud of food insecurity in our country will soon be a thing of the past. The fact that we carried home the annual Nairobi Agricultural show dairy goats’ championship, she is certain that our presence will be felt and impact international trade fairs. She even went to the extent of milking the dairy goats! Our work at DAIRYCHAIN elicited enough excitement in her. We are not stopping at exciting the farmers but, ensuring that they actually take up technologies for the purposes of alleviating their economic and food security status. We are certain that our efforts will be sustainable as well as offer inspiration to
future projects and science.

Lecturers and postgraduate students in the DAIRYCHAIN programme Ghana have visited and interacted with some farmers in the Ashanti region of Ghana. Farms visited included the Abea Cattle farm, Zare Farms, Embik Farms.

The delegation was led by the Project Co-ordinator Dr. S.Y. Annor and Mr. F.R.K. Bonsu. They were accompained by three postgraduate Master of Philosophy students undertaking their research within the project in Department of Animal Science Education.

The three, Mr. Ismail Coffie, Mr. Azitariga Josbert A. and Mr. Abubakari Ganiyu A., research titles were , “Phenotypic Characterization of Dual Purpose Cattle”, “Economic Analysis of Dairy Production” and “Health Management and Milk Quality of Lactating Cows”, respectively. During the visit, a good number of farmers expressed their enthusiasm and commitment towards the project to the extent that at the time of the visit, some farmers had already bought materials for the construction of zero-grazing units for the dairy cattle. However, the main challenge faced by the farms visited was pasture establishment. Farmers indicated preparedness and reliance on the expertise of the lecturers in establishing the needed pasture for the zero-grazing unit to ensure all year round feeding of animals. The farmers also expressed the desire to acquire dairy cows or their crosses.

A sensitization workshop on the objectives and activities of the Edulink II project was held on 29th January, 2014 for Dairy Value Chain Stakeholders at the University of Winneba, College of Agriculture Education, and Mampong-Ashanti, Ghana.

The theme of the workshop was, “strengthening capacity of higher education institutions in Eastern and Western Africa to enhance efficiency in the Dairy Value Chain (DVC)”. Participants were drawn from dairy value chain stakeholders in Ashanti and Greater Accra regions of Ghana.

They included Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) which was represented by Mr. Kwamina Arkorful (Ag. National Director, Animal Production Department), Mr. Edwin Bekoe (Farm Manager, Amrahia Dairy Cattle Breeding Station, MoFA), Mr. P.K. Karikari (Senior Research Fellow and Director, Boadi Dairy Cattle Research Station of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi), as well as District Agricultural Directors of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture from Ejisu-Juaben, Ejura-Sekyedumasi and Sekyere South districts of Ashanti region.

Dairy cattle farmers and/or processors that attended the workshop were managers of Embik farm, Karima farm and Zaare. In attendance were six undergraduate and two postgraduate students who have role to play in the Edulink II project.

The College Accountant, Internal Auditor and Deputy Registrar also attended the workshop. The workshop was chaired by Dr. James K. Kagya-Agyemang (Dean, Faculty of Agriculture Education) and the welcome address was given by Dr. Kofi Agyako (Dean, Faculty of Science and Environment), who represented the Principal of the college.

The project co-ordinator Dr. S.Y. Annor presented the project objectives and activities to participants.  In his presentation, the set objectives, activities involved in the Edulink II project, the role of the stakeholders and expectations of the project were clearly spelt out to participants.

The participants on their part were delighted and welcomed the project and further indicated that the project could have good results and improvement in the dairy sector in Ghana provided the activities are followed strictly and diligently as programmed.

Farmers present inquired if they would be receiving financial assistance and possibly quality heifers from the project as an incentive in their production. In response, Dr. S.Y. Annor categorically stated that farmers would not have direct financial assistance; however, expertise of university lecturers and other stakeholders will be made available to them for an accelerated growth of the dairy sector.

Furtherance to submission made by Dr. Annor, the Ag. Director of the Animal Production Department and Farm Manager of Amrahia Dairy Cattle Breeding Station indicated that there is a national policy that allows prospective dairy farmers to acquire heifers from Amrahia Dairy Cattle Breeding Station.

Mr. Kwamina Arkorful promised that as stakeholders of the Edulink Project, his Directorate in conjunction with Amrahia Dairy Cattle Breeding Station is ready to provide Artificial Insemination (AI) services to farmers at some fees. Technicians from Amrahia Dairy Cattle Breeding Station would visit farmers and select good cows from existing cattle, synchronize estrus and then carry out AI on cows with quality semen from Friesian bulls.

In this way, farmers could have crossbred dairy breeds early enough to commence production and avoid unnecessary delay. The Amrahia Dairy Cattle Breeding Station Farm Manager also indicated his preparedness to support stakeholders with other services such as milk hygiene, processing of milk into dairy products, pasture establishment, management of zero gazing units etc.

Stakeholders at the workshop pledged their commitment, support and cooperation for a smooth implementation of the Edulink II Project for the total realization of set objectives and needed impact in the improvement of the dairy sector in Ghana. Above (right) shows Dr. S.Y. Annor talking to participants and (left) is a picture of a section of the participants.

The purpose of this task is to familiarise all stakeholders in each country with the