Efforts by the County Government of Nandi to transform the dairy sector have received a major boost following an announcement by Heifer International that they will be rolling out Transformational Strategies for Farm Output Risk Mitigation” (TRANSFORM) Project.
The five-year project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will be implemented in Kenya, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India by Cargill, Heifer International, Ausvet, and International Poultry Council (IPC).
The project wants to increase the capacity of smallholder farmers, County Governments, and other stakeholders to encourage practices to support animal health, human health, and farmer livelihoods.
TRANSFORM is also aimed at strengthening animal-sourced food systems to prevent and minimize antimicrobial resistance and transboundary animal diseases to enhance global health security.
The project that runs from 2021 to 2025 seeks to engage global market actors, from production to markets and policymakers to sustainably strengthen animal-sourced food (ASF) systems and enhance global health security to prevent transboundary animal diseases and antimicrobial resistance in poultry and dairy value chains.
“Our consortium’s solution, therefore, focuses on improving animal health so significantly that the risk of disease and zoonotic pathogens is considerably lower, animal production is considerably higher, and therefore the use of antibiotics as a treatment for illness, to prevent disease, or to enhance performance is significantly reduced.”
– Heifer International TRANSFORM Project Director Douglas Masika.
The TRANSFORM Kenya Project will implement the component of promoting the adoption of biosecurity, antimicrobial usage (AMU), and on-farm management practices in Nandi County.
As part of a stakeholder engagement, Heifer International led by the Project Director Douglas Masika, Director of Programmes David Ojwang, Technical Specialist from Cargill Dr. Ruth Omani, TRANSFORM Kenya Project Manager Maurice Ikaal, and MELs Officer Dr. Lilian Ooko on Tuesday held an introductory meeting of the project with the county Department of Agriculture and Cooperative Development led by Chief Officer for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Wilson Lelei.