Dairy farming is the dominant activity of the crop-livestock integrated farming practice among smallholder farmers in Nepal, with 80% of farm households rearing dairy animals (cows and buffaloes). In addition, the sector is the largest contributor of the livestock sector to Nepal’s agricultural GDP.
However, its growth rate is patchy compared to cash crops and industrial crops in the country. Poor status of the use of productivity enhancing products and services (e.g. breeding, veterinary and feeding) and lack of functioning market constrain productivity and growth. Furthermore, the high degree of informality means that public and private sector investment is a challenge.
Samarth-NMDP aims to address the issue of low-input-low-output economy to which smallholder dairy farmers are trapped in. The project is actively working with different players in the market to strengthen the supply chain of milk by embedding different productivity enhancing services like forage input supply and animal health services; improving management information systems and quality management; and increasing the diversity of dairy products produced and marketed.
Current Interventions
1. Organize Raw Milk Supply Chain
2. Improve Access to Forage Inputs
3. Improve Production and Marketing of Dairy Products
4. Management Informaion Systems Development
