Madagascar Livestock Expansion and Stability Program Quarterly Report

The program is implemented by Land O'Lakes International Development with funding from the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA). The program targets 20,000 people in Ankazomanga, Maroarivo, and Beahitse communes of southern Madagascar, supporting households to build and maintain their livestock assets to increase household and community resilience to withstand shocks and stressors. The LIVES team is comprised of a Country Director, LIVES Program Manager, Accountant, M&E Specialist, a Livestock Specialist, three Field Agents, and a driver, with technical support from Land O'Lakes Global and Regional teams. The program focuses on three intermediate results (IRs): IR 1.1 Animal husbandry practices improved, IR 1.2 Livestock asset base expanded, and IR 1.3 Access to animal health services increased. During the period under review, the program implemented several activities, including preparing a work plan, conducting sensitization and courtesy visits, completing three assessments (baseline, gender, and water point), developing a performance monitoring and evaluation plan, and launching a request for proposal (RFP) for the supply of ruminants and poultry. The program also prepared to launch several field activities, including training 3 extension agents, creating and structuring 49 farmers groups, identifying and training 49 Livestock Leaders Farmers (LLFs), identifying 24 Community Livestock Workers (CLWs), and purchasing 5600 animal ID tag kits. For the next quarter, the program will continue to strengthen the capacity of livestock farmers through trained LLFs, start up the animal fund service within willing farmers groups, and identify the best approach and strategy to lead the water points' rehabilitation. The program aims to train directly 1960 livestock farmers, help them set up animal fund services, and rehabilitate 6 multi-use water points. The team focused on preparative tasks, such as group formation and structuration, lead farmers identification and training. For the next quarter, the program will start to train farmers, help farmers groups to set up animal fund services, and identify the best approach for the water point's rehabilitation. The program used the participatory Land O'Lakes gender toolkit to identify 30 females out of the total of 49 LLFs, prioritizing the technical training (housing, feed, health) to prepare farmers to receive animals. The program also hired a consultant to conduct a water point assessment, identifying 6 suitable multipurpose water points to be rehabilitated in Ankazomanga, Maroarivo, and Beahitse communes. The program will continue to select and train CLWs with Livestock Regional Direction and provide them with suitable tools and equipment to start providing animal health services. The training session will be based on Livestock management, animal health, and disease prevention and marketing. Once trained, they will train and support all livestock producers on animal health. The program will also identify suitable animal suppliers before distributing codified and healthy animals to prioritized beneficiaries. The program continues to select and train CLWs with Livestock Regional Direction and give them suitable tools and equipment to start providing animal health services. The training session will be based on Livestock management, animal health, and disease prevention and marketing.