Zambia Dairy Transformation Programme (ZDTP)

On November 7^th, ZDTP organised a closing symposium to share the programme’s achievements and to discuss the sustainability of its interventions with the Zambian dairy sector stakeholders. Marco Streng, NEADAP’s coordinator, was a panellist in the session titled ‘Towards a Blended Extension Model’. Marco contributed with insights from an East African standpoint, highlighting the ever-increasing demand for dairy products, the need for sustainable extension services, and the various existing modalities. The central theme of the discussion revolved around determining the primary entity responsible for coordinating collaboration among diverse service providers, ensuring alignment of messages for farmers and preventing duplication. While the government and cooperatives emerged as potentially ideal for this role, their limited capacities and budgets might hinder their effectiveness.

The symposium concluded with a networking session where representatives from the Zambia Dairy Association and the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries were present. Topics encompassed collaboration within the East and Southern Africa Dairy Association (ESADA). NEADAP actively shares and scales the best dairy development practices in East Africa but there is a clear opportunity to extend this collaboration beyond regional boundaries.