Community-based integrated marketing of milk: sewing back threads of hope

It was two O'clock in the afternoon when we reached Udaypur Dairy with a village motor van. Entering the Dairy farm we observed some smiling faces that were busy making delicious cream from cow's milk. Bulu Baroi, an inhabitant of Kudaliua Union under Mollahat Upazila of Bagerhat, was the leader of the women's group. She offered me to taste cream and started talking to me. Three years back, she used to rear cattle which hardly met up nutritional needs of her children. "But    conditions now are quite different from those of the past years. In conjunction with cattle rearing we started our dairy as a supplementary source of earnings. Now I am not only capable of being able to face the economic challenges in life on my own through a reliable source of  earning but also to spend those for some family rudiments like ensuring nutritious food, books and clothes for my children. Besides, I have the capacity to save a significant amount of money to be used in future predicament and to generate some assets as well". Thus one step for market linkage fetches remarkable change into the life of the cattle farmer of Mollahat Uapazila under Bagerhat.
Statistical data shows that about 2.9 per cent of national GDP is covered by livestock sector in Bangladesh. Currently it is estimated that Bangladesh comprises 25.7 million cattle and other livestock population (170.33 million) but yet the country has a shortage of huge amount of milk, meat and related livestock products origin which accounts for 85.9 per cent and 88.1 per cent for milk and meat (Banglapedia). The growth of milk consumption around the world increases at a rate of 4 per cent per year (Hemme 2008). This means that in future the dairy industry of Bangladesh will be either 'demand-driven' or 'market-driven' which corresponds to the doubling of demand for milk and milk products in 2020 in all developing countries including Bangladesh (Delgado & Ndambi 2007).
Mollahat Upazila of Bagerhat District, situated to the south-east coastal region of Bangladesh, the geography of which area is frequently hit by natural disasters -- mainly flood, cyclone, salinity, river erosion and tidal surge. Here most of the inhabitants are of Hindu religion. Traditionally cattle are an inseparable part of farming along with milk production. But several common factors were cited as limiting to have their courage to take this as a livelihood option such as lack of proper knowledge about farming and cattle care. They weren't able to secure profit through ensuring fair price due to the interference of middlemen, lack of improved variety of cattle, lack of proper technical support for preservation or processing of milk, lack of adequate linkage to market. Evidently climate change and natural disasters affect the food availability for cattle due to lack of grazing fields and feeds which has created a new challenge in nurturing their cattle. Women, though a significant contributor to economic productivity, are unorganised and therefore marginalised from the market opportunities due to patriarchal societal practices and restriction of mobility.
Considering the backdrop of marginalised milk producers of the said region Christian Aid Bangladesh has come up through the project titled "Inclusive Economic Development Project (IEDP)" with a view to enhancing financial capacity through strengthening market linkages of the marginalised people especially the women. The project started its intervention in 20 villages of 3 unions (Udoypur, Goula and Kudalia) under Mollahat Upazila of Bagerhat district, financially supported by the Scottish government through implementing partner, INCIDIN Bangladesh.
At the starting point, the project organised 50 producers' groups along with 1250 members. Now it has been extended to 100 groups. For getting the appropriate price of milk producer group members used to gather in a common place to sell milk. There were 25 members in every group. Among them one member of each group collects milk from others and goes to market everyday to sell it and now they are happy to get the suitable price. A market information centre has developed from which producers are able to know market price. Every day this price information is also sent to the head of each group via mobile massage from here and then the head shares the price with other members. Christian Aid also supports producers to cultivate and utilise Napier, German breed, and jumbo grass as cattle fodder. Farmers, who were involved in growing paddy before, are now becoming interested in cultivating and selling grass due to its profitability. According to them grass has huge demand and profitability potential in the cattle market.
Community people said: "Sub-optimal cattle nutrition, inadequate disease control, limited access to veterinary care used to affect cattle farming seriously before the preface of this project. Now village veterinary physician advocates for giving their service through certain camps and home visits periodically and on call basis. Farmers are supported through insemination for improved variety of cattle through artificial breeding considering more profit."
As an outcome of advocacy at national level, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Milk Vita and INCIDIN Bangladesh to give technical support to market the produced milk. This system paved the way for a new opportunity to sell their milk in a more secure market. Under this MoU Milk Vita constructed a chilling plant or milk storage at Tongipara, Gopalganj to get milk from project area. At the same time, this collaboration stretches cattle care, fodder, immunisation and insemination services to the producer community.
Women producer groups collectively started social business through a registered farm named Udaypur Dairy. They are currently producing not only cream but also delivering milk to local sweet shops and tea stalls as a regular supplier. Supplying milk to schools as tiffin for children at subsidised rates also meets up the nutritional needs of children as well as creates a market for produced milk.
"Inclusive Economic Development was the first pilot project focusing on pro-poor market access supported by Christian Aid in Bangladesh with a view to transforming a community traditional practice of cow rearing into a profitable and secured option for earning which will also add diversity to the income opportunity of the socially excluded communities of two of the climate vulnerable upazilas of Bagerhat district. The first phase of 2010-2013 has seen a significant success and as an outcome, the second phase of funding from the Scottish government for 2013-2016 has allowed us the opportunity to spread our focus to both the southern and northern parts of Bangladesh including Gaibandha and Bagerhat," said Ishrat Shabnam, who has been working with Christian Aid and engaged with this project since the very beginning.
Cattle farmers have now become active agents of their own development and have the courage to hold the sense of self-worth. Economic and social empowerment assists them to bring desired change within their households together with community. The milk producer groups now dream of having a long walk in this path which one day will turn their homestead firms into widespread commercial ventures.
The writer can be reached at E-mail: soniafarjanadu@gmail.com