Integrated Dairy Development Project

Heifer International Albania

Interaction Best
Practices Award

Washington DC
14 December 2010
 Heifer International
• Heifer is a global nonprofit with a tested approach to ending
hunger and poverty in a sustainable manner

• Heifer helps empower millions of families to lift them out of

poverty and hunger through gifts of livestock, seeds and trees
and extensive training, providing a multiplying source of food
and income

• An integral part of the Heifer approach centers around

Passing on the Gift (POG)

• Heifer International’s Central and Eastern European (CEE)

Area Program is an alliance of strong national organizations
recognized for empowering rural communities across Central
and Eastern Europe
 Albania

• 11,100 square miles

• Population: 3.6 million

• 58% of population lives in

rural areas

• 411,000 farm families

• Unemployment rate in rural

areas: up to 45%
Heifer Albania
• Country Program established in 1996

• 6 000 families directly assisted

• 54 projects implemented

 Partnerships with:

• Local communities
• Farmers associations
• Rural development organizations
• Ministry of Agriculture
• Local government
• Educational institutions
 Heifer Albania Projects

Alpine Goats projects Dairy Cows projects

Beekeeping projects Sheep projects

Integrated Dairy
Development Project Project
location

in Albania
 Project Background
 In 1990 Albania moved from a communist centralized
economy and farming system to a free trade economy and
liberalized market

 Farmers’ families received a cow (or other animals) and about

1.2 hectares of land from ex-cooperatives or state farms

 Farmers are often hesitant to cooperate in groups following

experiences in state farms
 Project Background
 Insufficient skills and knowledge in farm
management

 Limited resources and investments in farming

 Large number of small mixed farms at subsistence

level

 Low levels of animal feeding, breeding and milk

yields
 Project Goal

 The goal of the “Integrated Dairy

Development Project” is to:

• bring more food and income in the

families

• transform subsistence farming into

a sustainable source of income

• increase farmers’ cooperation

(organization and marketing)
 Project Objectives

1. Strengthen self-reliant associations (producer

organization and marketing capacity)

2. Improvement of farm management (training and

technical assistance on dairy farm management
and gender)

3. Enhance the economic viability of income

generating farms
 Activities
• Donate quality heifers for 400 families

• Multiply success through Passing on the Gift

• Provide technical assistance and training in farm

management

• Establish 16 model farms to provide training and act as a

forum to exchange experiences
 Activities
• Established 4 farmers associations and provided training
on cooperation, leadership, resource development, dairy
food chain, business plans and gender issues

• Supported a number of economic activities: provided 3

milk cooling tanks, 3 agro-vet shops, and other
equipment
 Impact

1. Family Livelihood and Farm Development

 Increased number of animals per farm

70% of families breed 3-4 cows

8% breed more than 5 cows per farm

 Enhanced productivity

milk yield per cow - 4000-6000 liter per lactation

 Increased 85% of income from farms

770-1200 USD per year per cow

 Increased farmers’ knowledge in farm management, dairy

food chain and business plans
 Impact
2. Strengthening of farmers’ Associations

• Joint economic activities: buying and selling

together, investing in simple infrastructure
and equipment

• Breeding and organized sale of pure breed

Holstein heifers

• Associations start providing trainings for

farmers and influence in building
partnerships
 Impact

3. Other Outcomes

• Participation of women in decision making

in the community

• Improved relations within families

• Involvement of women in financial

aspects of farms and decision making
within family
 Lessons Learned
• Integrated development of dairy farms results in
improved nutrition, increased income and a sustainable
development of community

• Effective technical assistance and capacity building of

farmers and their associations is translated in a self-
reliant community providing added value to individual
farmers

• Increased cooperation of farmers and improved FAs’

role results in improved economic activities, marketing
of products and advocacy for small farmers
 Enabling Factors
• Well-defined goals

• Cooperation and partnerships

• Appropriate evaluation and utilization of resources for

farm development

• Presentation of a package of investments integrated

with trainings and capacity building

• Improved know-how of farmers

• Capacity building as a community

Thank you!
Any questions?