Think Creative - Issue 2

Dispatches

updates from around our world

USAID’s Afghanistan Workforce Development Program training helped the Balkh Dairy Union to boost production and sales. Qeyamudin Qeyam (right) supervises milk distribution.

Afghanistan // Workforce Development Program New skills for Afghan dairy farmers

Qeyamudin Qeyam, Chairman of the Balkh Dairy Union and Afghan Dairy Producers As- sociation, says he’s already seeing the positive effects of the trainings. Since then, Balkh Dairy products have been introduced in 50 more stores, for a total of 300. “They expanded the scope of our market and increased our production. These are important advances,” he says. “Because of the trainings, we added two new products and learned how to vacuum pack cheese. Milk production in- creased by 500 liters a day.” Qeyam says that the progress shows the poten- tial of the cooperative system. And hundreds of families from small villages to the city of Mazar e-Sharif will benefit as Balkh Dairy continues to grow. n

He helped to select cooperative members to participate in program trainings, ultimately benefiting dozens of dairy farming families. He says the AfghanistanWorkforce Develop- ment Program trainings of families encouraged the adoption of better practices to keep dairy cows healthy and boost milk production. “A number of women were taught about the proper health and care of their cattle,” Homa- yun says. “Through these classes, the women were able to provide better care for their animals and obtain more milk.” The program also provided trainings in man- agement, marketing, production and sanitation to staff at the cooperatives, as well as market research to help the dairies better serve con- sumers and increase sales.

Every day as the sun rises in Afghanistan’s Balkh province, dozens of families are waking early to start their morning tasks. Cows are milked, and the milk is carefully carried to a local cooperative, where it is tested and measured. From there, it’s transported to a nearby dairy processing plant to be turned into products like yogurt and cheese for sale. This daily routine generates income for more than 200 families who are members of milk cooperatives around the city of Mazar e-Sharif and the greater Balkh province. And with help fromUSAID’s AfghanistanWorkforce Develop- ment Program, the cooperative is performing better than ever. Dr. Mohammad Homayun, Manager of Balkh Dairy, oversees 14 milk collection centers.

Photo by JimHuylebroek

8 | Think Creative | Issue 2