Dairy Farming

Community Action for People Participation (CAPP) is a local nongovernmental organization registered under the laws of Malawi as the registered trustees of Community Action for People Participation. The organization was established and started its work in 2018 and officially registered by the government of Malawi.de the laws of Malawi as the registered trustees of Community Action for People CAPP established a Vocational Training College (VTC) on a non-profit basis to support the government of Malawi in its development idea to create jobs through offering quality vocational training to youth in Malawi.

CAPP VTC has been providing subsidized non-formal trainings to vulnerable youth in Tailoring, Bricklaying, Nutrition, Public health, Practical Agriculture, and Electrical installation. The Agriculture course, which began in 2020, covers both crop and animal husbandry.

CAPP with funding from ILO has implemented the Dairy STED Recommendations to “develop skills for Women and Youth Dairy Farmers through upgraded informal apprenticeship” through a project in Chiradzulu district targeting three Extension Planning Areas (EPAs),namely Thumbwe, Mbulumbuzi and Mombezi. The project was designed to address the gaps and recommendations identified in the STED Dairy Farming Research Report (August 2021). The assignment has directly benefited 200 women and youth and 9 MBGs.

The assignment intensified and expanded training of the dairy farmers in the following areas: identification of locally available foodstuff that can be utilized in the formulation of appropriate dairy ratios for all the physiological stages to maximize production and productivity of the dairy herd; dairy management, which includes breeding, housing, parasite and disease prevention and control; milking and milk management (hygiene and quality control); record keeping; and business management (instill a business culture among dairy farmers). The project did a purposive focus group approach; dairy farmers from the three Extension Planning Areas of Thumbwe Mombezi and Mbulumbuzi in Chiradzulu district in the southern region of Malawi where the training has been implemented.

Extension Planning Areas (EPAs) were identified with help from district Agricultural officers and farmers from selected sections were identified in collaboration with their respected Assistant veterinary officers (AVOs) and (AEDOs).