Third Edition of the Dairy Project Portal

The project's efforts to support Women Livestock Extension Workers (WLEWs) included releasing medicine kits and Vanda, a top-quality animal feed. This move aimed to enhance the WLEWs' ability to provide better animal healthcare and Vanda supply to dairy farmers in their respective villages, ultimately leading to increased milk output and income boosts for both the WLEWs and farmers. The Dairy Project also made significant strides in establishing AI training facilities in Rawalpindi and Faisalabad, leading to intensive trainings for further batches. An MOU was signed with PMAS-ARID Agriculture University Rawalpindi, and a life-size dummy cow was developed at the Burj Attari training center to facilitate improved training. The project-trained Artificial Insemination Technicians (AITs) are now setting out for breed improvement and their services are in high demand across Punjab. The Dairy Project is now offering trainings targeted towards young graduates and dairy farmers with the aim of establishing them as fully-trained, skilled farm managers. To date, 22 farm managers have been trained and certified in collaboration with the University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Lahore. Two-day and four-day trainings for dairy farmers are also in continuation at Dairy Project's training farms, with a total of 4077 dairy farmers trained as of this quarter. The project's mobilization teams are mobilizing AITs in district Bahawalnagar and district Bahawalpur for the 12th batch. The results of phase three of AIT Performance Survey showed that out of 49 AITs surveyed, 48 successfully met the performance criteria and hence qualified for the motorbike distribution. The second motorbike distribution ceremony was held at Chichawatni on August 16, where 48 bikes were distributed among high-performing AITs. The opening of Rawalpindi and Faisalabad branches of the Dairy Project for AT Training has given excellent results, as more slaughterhouse access has been granted, allowing more intensive training for smaller batches. The MOU signed with Arid University in Rawalpindi is widening the scope of collaboration with the University, covering various aspects of livestock rearing in dry zones. Newly trained AI breed improvement technicians are being released, equipped with a motorbike supplied by the Dairy Project, and are able to cover more and more areas for breed improvement. The Dairy Project has selected Multan and Vehari districts as new zonal sites, with 20 social mobilizers shifted to the concerned areas to work for the selection of WLEWs and farmers. So far, 136 candidates for WLEW training have been identified from Multan, while 48 candidates have been mobilized in Vehari for the sixth batch of WLEW training. As of this quarter, the Dairy Project has trained 158 WLEWs, while 1148 have successfully completed the training to date.