I C A R D A    N e w s

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN THE DRY AREAS

P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012
Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105;
E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG
Website: www.icarda.cgiar.org
For more information contact: Dr Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
 
 
7 April 2005
Small Ruminant Milk Production Improvement Training
Course for Women Farmers
Ms Birgitte Hartwell describes strategies to improve lamb fattening systems to the participants of the training course.
ICARDA and the Fardous Organization organized a training course for women farmers on “Improved processing of milk products for better income” on 23-31 March 2005 at the Center's headquarters in Aleppo, Syria. Five women farmers from Syria (two from Khourbet El Deib village from El-Bab area, and three from Idlib under the umbrella of Fardous Organization in Idlib Province), Syria, two from Jordan, and a Syrian woman private entrepreneur participated as trainees.

The training course was designed to transfer knowledge on improved methods of milk collection and yogurt, cheese, and jameed processing; as well as improved feeding strategies including the use of agricultural by-products to improve performance and ration formulation, early weaning of lambs to improve milk yield, lamb fattening and animal health management. The participants also visited dairy product processing facilities at Boursaya village and at the El-Bab Project where ICARDA is testing a number of technologies to improve small ruminant productivity using a participatory approach.

At the end of the course, the trainees discussed the main constraints to milk processing, availability of livestock feed, and improvement of small ruminant production. The training course not only provided the participants with new knowledge, but also provided researchers with the opportunity to learn about new methods and constraints, and facilitated farmer-to-farmer exchange about innovations and ways to produce milk products targeted to meet the increasing market demand in Syria and Jordan.

The training course was organized by Ms Monika Zaklouta of the Diversification and Sustainable Improvement of Crop and/or Livestock Production Systems in the Dry Areas Mega-Project. Staff from the Diversification Mega-Project served as course instructors and included: Mr Muhi El-Din Hilali and Ms Maha Addas (milk collection and processing); Dr Safouh Rihawi (feeding system improvement); Ms Birgitte Hartwell (fattening systems); and Dr Ghassan Jessry (animal health).

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.cgiar.org) serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil, and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants (sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of countries, international and regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international research centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.
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