The National Dairy Value-Chain Conference was held in Asmara from the 21st to the 22nd of February under the theme “A Platform for Ensuring Sufficient, Affordable, and Safe Milk and its Products.” The conference, which was held at Hotel Asmara Palace, brought together policymakers, experts, and farmers to discuss the state of the dairy industry in Eritrea and to share knowledge and experience about the dairy value chain.
Papers were presented by experts, and the conference was attended by more than 200 participants, including representatives from research institutions and regulatory bodies from Eritrea, India, Ireland, Denmark, Uganda, and Kenya. The organizations with which the representatives that attended the conference are affiliated include Teagasc, Ireland; Indian Agriculture Institute, and National Dairy Research Institute, India; ASARECA (Associations for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa); IFAD, FAO, UN; GI Science Solutions, South Africa; Value Added Dairy Limited Kenya, (Kenya); the DESIRA project; Vita-Ireland, local research Institutes and Higher Education Institutions in Eritrea.
In his opening address, Dr. Tseggai Tesfai, director of Livestock at the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and Research and Conference coordinator, said that the development of Dairy Value-Chain in Eritrea is aligned with the national development goals of eradicating hunger and poverty, achieving food security, improving nutrition, promoting sustainable production and consumption patterns, achieving gender equality, promoting employment opportunities, and enhancing partnerships for sustainable development.
In his keynote address, Mr. Arefaine Berhe, Minister of Agriculture, noted that a robust value chain is the backbone of a thriving dairy industry and that the dairy industry in Eritrea has made remarkable advancements in recent years, including automated milking systems and precision nutrition and genetic selection. He added that one of the key areas of focus should be the adoption of advanced technologies and practices, which is crucial for the improvement of the productivity, efficiency, and sustainability of the value chain.
Mr. Arefaine added that as demand for dairy products is growing both domestically and internationally, it is important to establish strong supply chains that ensure quality and safety to capitalize on this opportunity while exploring new markets. He also emphasized the need to empower farmers with knowledge, training, and access to financial resources as they are the backbone of the dairy industry.
The topics discussed at the conference covered safety and quality control of milk and its products, the pathways for closing yield and gross margin gaps in dairy farms, and approaches to promoting agricultural transformation in Africa. The importance of homegrown forage was widely discussed as it is less expensive and preferable for the safety and quality of the forage, and to ensure resilience in the face of price and yield volatility. The other topics that were given weight in the discussions are the empowerment of the youth and women in the dairy value chain and the importance of conserving indigenous breeds.
The papers presented at the conference by experts from research centers and the academia in Eritrea and abroad covered these topics: climate-smart agriculture research and innovation for dairy value chains; challenges, opportunities, and mitigation strategies in the dairy farming system in Eritrea; brucellosis trend in Eritrea and its public health impact; a success story of India’s milk production and its associated challenges; how to empower Eritrean smallholder dairy farms towards sustainable and profitable safety and quality control of milk and its products; and dairy farm entrepreneurship experiences in Eritrea.
The conference is a follow-up to the three conferences organized by the MoA. The first conference was on Potato, the second on Organic fertilizers, and the third on Wheat and Maize, which was held in September 2023. The goal of the present conference is to bring about an inclusive sustainable dairy value chain to enhance food and nutrition security, reduce poverty, create job opportunities for young people, integrate gender mainstreaming, and address other key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The two-day conference ended with the award of certificates to exemplary farmers who have successfully applied MoA’s strategies to improve dairy production. The farmers that have been given the awards have been able to show a dramatic change in their production of milk and other dairy products within a short period and influence many other farmers. On the third day, yesterday, conference participants visited dairy processing plants and animal breeding farms.
The history of modern dairy production in Eritrea dates back to the early 1940s with the import of European dairy cow breeds to serve the growing population of the Italian community. Asmara Milk Factory was established in 1942 to address the high demand for milk and other dairy products. The factory, which is still in operation, provided safe milk to a large population living in urban areas such as Asmara, Massawa, Dekemhare, and Keren.
Following the independence of Eritrea, the government has been making efforts to develop the dairy industry through initiatives that support both public and private enterprises. In collaboration with stakeholders, the MoA has made efforts to boost the dairy value chain through initiatives such as the Minimum Integrated Household Agricultural Package (MIHAP), investments in milk collection and cooling centers as well as processing centers, training programs for farmers to improve dairy husbandry practices, expansion of veterinary and artificial insemination services, and upgrading of experts’ qualifications. The MoA has established milk collection and cooling centers in Dekemhare, Mendefera, Keren, Akurdet, and Tesseney cities, ensuring the production of hygienic milk and the growth of dairy farming. Similarly, to increase milk production, create a sustainable dairy business, and improve the livelihood of urban and rural communities, over a thousand Butana Sudanese, cross and pure breed of dairy cattle, were distributed to more than 1000 farmers in Maekel, Debub, Anseba, Gash-Barka and Northern Red Sea Red regions. To mitigate the scarcity of animal feed, a pilot project on a dairy production system has been introduced in rural areas of the Dibarwa subzone, Southern region.
In terms of regulatory activities for the safe supply of milk and other dairy products, measures have been taken to ensure the safety of dairy products, dairy animals, and consumers. The MoA enacted legal note 133/2006 to determine the requirements for the establishment of plants that process milk and produce other dairy products and to set standards for milk and other dairy products. Moreover, the National Animal and Plant Health Laboratory (NAPHL), has been taking measures to enhance its capacity to diagnose and deal with animal diseases. It has introduced technologies such as mobile milking machines, cream separators, milk analyzers, and milk containers to ensure the quality and safety of milk.