Project in Nepal

Feeding Support Tool Development for Enhancing Dairy Animal Productivity for Improved Livelihood of Smallholder Dairy Farmers in Nepal

Timeline: October 2016 - March 2018

Funding: USAID

Principal investigator (PI) and lead institution

Bhola Shankar Shrestha, Heifer International Nepal

Co-PI and collaborator institutions

Keshav P. Sah, Heifer International Nepal
Megh Raj Tiwari, Nepal Agriculture Research Council
Babu Kaji Panta, National Dairy Development Board

Short Video: App of Feeding Support Tool in Nepal

Available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qo1r7CPMDGQ

Video dubbed in English: Building Resilience in Smallholder Dairy Farms of Nepal

Available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Yz04u98bJ5E

Results

Paudel, T.P., Pokharel, B.R., and Shrestha, B.S. 2019. Assessment of the dairy animal feeding system of western Nepal: a synthesis of focus group discussions. SAARC J. Agric., 17(2): 253-266.

App: available from Google Play, under name "Heifer-LFST" (Livestock Feeding Support Tool)
Blog: Results-sharing workshop paves way for scaling dairy innovations in Nepal
Innovation Summary of Feed App
Poster: Mobile App-Based Feeding Support Tool to Optimize Dairy Animal Productivity

Project Plan

The productivity of dairy animals (cattle and buffalo) in Nepal is generally low due to the cumulative effects of poor genetics, poor and inappropriate feed management and a large number of diseases. The most critical factor associated with low productivity is improper (inadequate and unbalanced) feeding. The overall goal of the project was to increase the household income and create improved livelihoods of smallholder dairy farmers through improvement of dairy animal productivity particularly through feeding management improvement.

The specific objectives of this project were: (1) To analyze existing dairy animal feeding practices and identify major areas for improvement; (2) Develop and utilize a Feeding Support Tool (FST)/Ration Balancing Software (RBS) to enhance dairy animal productivity; and (3) Strengthen the capacity of the frontline livestock extension workers and smallholder dairy animal farmers (especially women farmers) on dairy animal feeding management.

Photo credit: B. Shrestha

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems is part of Feed the Future

This work was funded in whole or part by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Resilience, Environment and Food Security under Agreement # AID-OAA-L-15-00003 as part of Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems. Additional funding was received from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation OPP#060115. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed here are those of the authors alone.