Peru New Zealand Dairy Support Project
The Peru New Zealand Dairy Support Project (PNZDSP) was a New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAT) initiated project funded with a contribution of NZ$4m through the New Zealand Aid Programme. In addition there was funding support from Peru Government Agencies including the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of Peru (MINAGRI). The project started in October 2016 and ended in November 2020. The AgriBusiness Group led the design and implementation of the project which included the roles of Project Director (Jon Manhire), International Project Co-Ordinator – (Dr Cesar Pineras Patino), 3 local Regional Co-Ordinator and one local Administrator.
Dr. Cesar Pineras Patino, Project (International Co-Ordinator, The Agribusiness Group) facilitating a field day in the Cusco Region.
The goal of the project was to increase the productivity and incomes of small to medium scale dairy farmers in the Cusco, Puno and Cajamarca Departments in the Peruvian Sierra. This was measured through the adoption of improved farm management and improved milk/cheese production, handling and processing practices, supported by more effective research and extension systems. The project worked with MINAGRI and other relevant Peruvian implementing partners and stakeholders. The scale of the project was ambitious – working in 3 regions with a combined grazing area of over half the total land area of New Zealand. From its initial pilot areas and communities – the results from the project have been transferred throughout the 3 regions – with some results shared further within and outside of Peru.
Though there were disruptions to the delivery of the project in 2020 due to Covid - the project has been seen as a success with some measures of this including:
· Undertaking more than 760 extension events with more than 25,000 farmers attending made up of approx. 38% women and 75% Quechua speaker.
· The project had over 429 trained extension officers at its peak in 2019 with 25% of these being women and 73% Quechua speakers.
· Large numbers of farmers achieved awareness for change with over 4,000 adopting improved animal husbandry practices.
· Extension and innovation approaches have been incorporated into MINAGRI policies and will be followed for all future livestock and crop development projects.
· The project supported the National System of Evaluation, Accreditation and Certification of Educational Quality(SINEACE) to develop vocational qualifications for the accreditation of leading farmers and technicians on ‘High-Andean Pastoral Dairy Farming’ and ‘Extension Agents in Support of High-Andean Livestock Farming’.
The project has created an awareness of the benefits associated with pasture based dairy production. Sustainability will be ensured by farmers achieving improved productivity by adopting the project knowledge. Providing access to enabling technology that the project identified will also be crucial (such as suitable animal genetics and new resilient pasture species) and provides a very good opportunity for New Zealand companies – many of who were involved in the project. The project has also created awareness of the benefits associated with user centered innovation and farmer led extension systems by demonstrating them through the delivery of the project.
Dr Phil Rolston, Pasture Agronomist speaking at a pasture evaluation trial established by the project in Cajamarca Region
These results were only achieved through the input of the local team made up of the Regional Co-Ordinator’s - Julio Cesar Bustios Valdivia in Cajamarca; Dr Ruben Garcia Ticllacuri in Cuzco and Renzo Cuadros Leveau in Puno - all led by Dr Cesar Pinares Patino and his counterpart Jorge Bernal of MINAGRI.
Further information and resources developed by the project found at the AgriBusiness website.
Written by Jon Manhire.
