Colombian-Netherlands Dairy capacity and business development project

The Colombian dairy sector has concrete needs supporting the development of dairy production and processing, such as: pasture management, soil management, dairy cattle nutrition, breeding, good dairy farming practices and artisanal dairy products.

The diversity of climates in Colombia provides ample opportunities to develop a cost efficient dairy sector. The main dairy areas in Colombia are concentrated in the highlands in the South (Narino) and around cities like Bogotá, Medellín (Antioquia) etc. Due to its favourable climate and institutional conditions, Antioquia is positioned as a key region with potential for business development and cooperation with Dutch organizations and private sector companies.

The University of Antioquia expressed the wish for a more in depth analyses of the dairy farming system, especially the fodder and feed management in the dry season as milk production drops down during this period of the year.

The project will create synergy with the ‘Technical assistance and management control in the dairy sector in dairy clusters of Antioquia’ project by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Government of Antioquia, and Universidad de Antioquia. The project DairyCaB will be a vehicle to bring business based cooperation of farmers, supplying and buying companies and knowledge institutes to the developing diary sector in North Eastern Antioquia.

The project short term goal is to design and establish at least one Demonstration and Training Centre at a commercial Farm (DTF) where private companies and knowledge institutions can share experience and knowledge by demonstration and training with extension staff and farmers, in the Dairy North and Eastern Antioquia Conglomerate (DNEAC), which will act as model for the development of more DTF’s in the department of Antioquia. Diversity in size, status of development and conditions and distance of farms in the area can make it desirable to spread innovations over more farms.

This project is being carried out by Stichting DLO, Instituut Food & Biobased Research, together with partners Universidad De Antioquia, and Saenz Fety SAS.