Small scale dairy farmers and operators earning a living on milk processing are worried

On August 30th and 31st members of the executive committee of the National Union of Mini-dairies and local processors, members of the Table Filière Lait (a joint body of milk sector operators) and representatives of the civil society met in Ouagadougou to review together the Programme for the development of the fresh milk sector in Burkina Faso.

The programme is produced by a consultant agency in Ouagadougou and was approved a few days ago by the Ministry for Animal Resources. It is an ambitious project that sets as its aim (Document, p.2) « to generate enough quantities of domestic milk to ensure self-sufficiency in milk and other dairy products. »

 
Participants at the meeting welcomed this ambition, but also voiced their concern. Their fears are clearly expressed in a document on the pro's and con's of the programme, Chances et Menaces du Programme de Développement de la Filière Lait Local au Burkina Faso  (shortened below to "Chances et Menaces"), which they wish to share with their partners in the sector and all of the officials of the Ministry of Animal Resources, some of which have assisted them over a number of years. Thanks to them, they are now proud to be able to put on the market quality dairy products which are much appreciated by their customers. But then, all of a sudden, all this is ruled out as "obsolete", without a future, and a new programme (the expression is indeed « programme », because « policy » would indicate coverage of all actors in the field …) is put forward, leaning extensively on new players.

Here are some excerpts from the document:

« Producers in small scale traditional animal husbandry are not taken into account » Careful scrutiny of the programme shows that it is almost entirely structured around newcomers in dairy farming. The fact that the major producing areas of Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso have been singled out comes with the justification that "this choice is based on the principle that it is impossible to work with all herders, at least for a start. That is undeniable. We do not demand that the programme be geared to all pastoralists of Burkina, modern and traditional. But we do demand that all the traditional ones be given serious consideration as of the first year.

We can not accept that our government validates a programme, which in its present wording fearlessly strides ahead to strip women in traditional dairy farming of their means to earn a living for themselves and their families: the income that the sale of fresh milk brings home. But this is nevertheless what is stated under the heading « Social and cultural aspects, gender and development »:

« The gender and development aspect should be taken into account to prevent exclusion and aggravation of poverty. With regard to the specific case of milk, which is the responsibility of women in traditional herding, the development of the sector could, if the programme is carried out, deprive them of their habitual source of income.» (End of quote)

We do indeed believe that the programme, in its present form, will result in the loss of their main asset for the livelihood of their families: income from the sale of milk. They will become outcasts, with their families, and doomed not just to poverty but to misery. Social peace can no longer be guaranteed.

It is not enough to make the programme tolerable and acceptable, to suggest that a few women take up fattening of animals instead, but this is what the documents proposes:

« However, as an accompanying measure, activities connected with by-products of the programme could be developed. Women could undertake fattening of bull-calves to substitute for the loss of milk sales »

a. We fail to understand why our cows are disqualified outright, without analysis. Why focus exclusively on the 40 000 dairy cows in intensive farming (which already yield as much as they can) and "forget" the 2 million cows milked every year in traditional herds (or, to begin with, the 500 000 now in sedentary communities). That is however where the potential for progress is the strongest. Why not support small scale herds, allow their owners to significantly improve animal feed and thus boost production of milk from local breeds?

b. We do not understand why small processing units are excluded outright, without an analysis. « The previous strategy, which was based on mini-dairies (Milk Processing Units, MPU) in order to promote a "fresh milk culture" at all social levels and across all the production areas, has reached its limits. In fact (i) consumer requirements and regulations make a number of these units obsolete and (ii) they are unable to ensure optimal milk deliveries or propose solutions to fluctuations in seasonal or geographical availability of fresh milk. » Such dairies do indeed have their limitations, but they have not yet produced to their full potential. Why not integrate them into the programme and help them perform better? »

Readers interested in the issue may read the full document of « Chances et Menaces »,(FR) and in particular the proposals put forward. Those who wish to form their own opinion based on documents from the Ministry (Le Diagnostic et le Programme Laitier) may contact us.

PTo close this newsletter, which is a bit longer than usual, here are the conclusions of the meeting document, « Chances et Menaces » (FR) :

« Taking almost exclusively modern production units as a basis, the programme will have a serious adverse impact on traditional herding, which once again will become the poor relation, on the margin of the system or perhaps even excluded from it. This will result in wider migration and conflicts with other parties concerned, including new and privileged livestock keepers, as a result of exacerbated competition for the marginal and meagre natural resources left. Social peace will be seriously endangered.

What transpires from this programme is in a way a confessed incapacity to lend adequate support to traditional pastoralism and help it develop.Once traditional herders have been deprived of milk sales, what will remain for them to improve their herds and their income? How will they be able to pay for the education of their children? Can the government run the risk of driving 10% of the population towards exclusion?" »

Koudougou, September 2nd 2010
Maurice Oudet
Director, SEDELAN