Work Package 4: Development of a sustainable and inclusive value-chain for smallholder
dairy farmers in the Republic of Mauritius
| Name of Team Leader | Associate Professor Dr (Mrs) Brinda RAMASAWMY MOLAYE |
| Name of Team Members | Associate Professor Dr. (Mrs.) Vijayanti Mala RANGHOO-SANMUKHIYA |
| Associate Professor Dr. (Mrs.) Thèrèse Suzy Joyce GOVINDEN SOULANGE | |
| Dr. (Mrs.) Deena RAMFUL–BABOOLALL | |
| Professor Dr. (Mrs.) Marie Françoise Brigitte DRIVER | |
| Name of the Trainee Project Assistant (TPA) | Mr. Hemant Hansley HURNAM |
First and foremost, the work package 4 (WP4) aims at empowering smallholder farmers for
the development of a sustainable and climate-smart dairy value chain for enhanced Food and
Nutrition Security, and increased income. In addition, with the setting up of a dairy model
farm on the AgriTECH Park, University of Mauritius. The dairy model farm will help in
addressing research and development needs in the dairy sector using innovation and
sustainable husbandry practices as well as climate-smart technologies to produce marketable
quality milk in the Republic of Mauritius.
Furthermore, this will help to increase the supply of quality and wholesome milk from
smallholder dairy farmers for the local market. The strategic objectives of the WP4 of the
DeSIRA project are outlined below;
To improve the level of food security and the contribution of agriculture to the
economy in the country by upgrading a sub-sector in the livestock industry (dairy
value chain) through targeted research and development;
To produce safe and quality milk for the local population as well as for use as raw
material in the agro-industry and potentially for export in the region in the long term;
To encourage potential entrepreneurs, through capacity building, to engage
themselves in the production and processing of milk for the manufacture of local
products ‘Made in Moris’
To promote sustainable management of land, water and other natural resources
through promotion of sustainable and climate-smart practices and technologies such
as sustainable management.
Timeline of activities
| Output | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| 1 | Completed | |||
| 2 | Completed | |||
| 3 | ∙Blood samples analysis in progress | |||
| 4 | ∙Analyses in progress | |||
| 5 | ∙Ongoing surveys of dairy farmers ∙Ongoing key informant surveys of stakeholders | |||
| 6 | ∙Ongoing collaboration with the UoM Incubator Committee to set up the agribusiness incuator | |||
| 7 | ∙Ongoing | |||
| 8 | ∙Optimisation of three dairy value added products. ∙Shelf-life studies ∙Microbiological analysis ∙Packaging identification |
