Our thanks to the National Committee for the Milk Sector in Burkina

Yes indeed, we thank the National Committee and its co-ordinator. For the celebration of the World Milk Day the Committee  managed to bring together representatives of the various segments of the milk trade, cattle farmers, dairy operators ( in particular those in charge of local processing of milk), some retailers and also officials of the Ministries of Animal Resources and Trade. They arrived to the event on time and stayed on to discuss with participants until the end of the meeting.

I have taken part in too many workshops where ministerial representatives have arrived late, only to open the meeting, read out a document prepared by the organisers and then leave without any attempt to listen to participants’ concerns. Therefore I appreciated the attendance of the spokesman for the Ministry of Animal Resources and other ministries.

The subject of discussion was a topical issue these days: “The rising world market price of milk – a threat or an opportunity for local milk processing?”

But as the spokesman for the Ministry of Animal Resources officially announced the Government’s plan to facilitate the setting up of two industrial milk processing units, the emphasis of the debate quickly shifted. The new industrial plants, one in Ouagadougou and the other in Bobo Dioulasso,  would have a capacity of processing 15 000 and 5 000 litres of milk  a day. A few days before this same Government also declared that it would require small scale dairies to have two  compulsory quality control tests carried out per month, at their own expense, by the National Public Health Laboratory (at 50 000 CFA francs per tests, transportation costs not included …)

If this Bill is applied in its present form, the vast majority of small scale dairies will disappear.  Not that they are afraid of failing the tests. They could even play in their favour as a quality assurance to consumers of locally processed dairy products. But small dairies do not have the financial means to take on this burden at present.

The Bill does not in any way take the reality of the situation into account, in particular the efforts made by mini-dairies to put good and healthy milk products on the market. Please see also the Quality Charter of the cooperative BURKINA LAIT .

Let us look at an example. The dairy in Batié (south of Diébougou) does not have the funds to travel to Ouagadougou twice a month and pay for tests and will therefore have to close. Thus the Fulani women who have been selling their milk to the dairy will now go back to the marketplace or go around town in search of customers for their fresh but non pasteurized milk or yoghurt.  The quality of such products is certainly less safe than milk pateurised by the dairy. Is this what the lawmakers have in mind? Or, will they also ban the traditional sale of milk in markets and towns in Burkina?

In view of these fears the participants at the International Milk Day event produced a recommendation to the public authorities : the cost of quality tests on milk products should be borne by the Government.

If not cattle farmers and dairy operators will come to think that the new public health bill has only one objective: eradicate existing dairies to make room for a few big private investors! And those are likely to turn big producers of milk (former ministers or members of parliament, managing directors of public companies … who have already invested in the milk sector) which will employ labourers on their land.  Once more the traditional cattle farmers, who account for 20% of the production of the nations’ assets, will feel discarded by the ruling class.

There is more to report from the information and debate on this occasion later on. Today we wanted to emphasise the need to have the costs of tests at the National Public Health Laboratory paid for by the government. The World Milk Day was an opportunity to put some questions to the Government.  Will there be a positive response to the recommendation and send a strong signal to those who have already been involved in bringing quality to the milk trade and who only wish to go ahead in a joint effort? The issue is to be followed closely!

June 22nd 2008

Maurice Oudet

Director, SEDELAN