DATES: August 2004 - December 2007
The Dairy Industry Revitalization Project for Afghanistan (DIRPA), implemented by Land O’Lakes and Mountain Pastures Dairy Company (MPDC), is an ongoing project that will focus on milk production, dairy processing and the marketing of dairy products. The project will expand Afghanistan’s raw milk base by providing technical assistance & training to dairy farmers. The training will include milk hygiene, the production of fodder & balanced rations, animal husbandry, and veterinary services. These activities will assist 2,000 farmers in Parwan and Kunduz provinces. The project will also develop private dairy processing capabilities by providing financial and technical assistance to the MPDC in Kunduz and constructing a 5,000-liter/shift dairy plant in Mazar-i-Sharif in collaboration with the Balkh Livestock Development Association (BLDA). Finally, the project will promote broader development of dairy the industry by conducting dairy market surveys, developing a national dairy promotion campaign and fostering better relationships between wholesalers and retailers to market dairy products. Note: In Herat and Nangarhar provinces they have made market assessments.