Deep in the Anti-Atlas region of Morocco’s Sous plain, two of the world’s most cutting edge dairy cooperatives recently met for the first time. The U.S. Grains Council (USGC), with the financial and professional support of the Kansas Corn Commission, organized a technical exchange for India’s Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) and Morocco’s COPAG.
Although GCMMF is more than 10 times the size of COPAG, both organizations feverishly took notes on the other’s
operations. GCMMF showed videos of transporting their flagship Amul brand ghee and milk pouches by canoe up the Ganges and on the back of an elephant, while COPAG explained how they have the most advanced logistics in the country of Morocco to deliver their UHT milk to every corner of the kingdom.
While northwest Africa and the Indian subcontinent may not have many similarities at first glance, the two regions share a similar climate and water scarcity that makes many agronomic issues very analogous. And while their production and transportation specifics differ, both organizations have a passion for farmer prosperity.
The team’s collaboration was the first step towards carrying out a memorandum of understanding signed into force in May between GCMMF and the Council to collaborate on technology exchanges and the development of a heifer conditioning project. Despite being the world’s largest dairy producer, India’s dairy sector is plagued with poor nutrition, particularly for young heifer calves. Studies have shown poor nutrition at a young age has repercussions in terms of health and, importantly, milk output later in life.
“I was really impressed by how open the two organizations were with each other,” said Kevin Roepke, USGC regional director for Southern Asia. “Personally, I have never been part of such a magical experience where two companies simultaneously learn so much from each other.â€�
The trip specifically focused on a heifer calf conditioning project that the Council helped get off the ground in Morocco. The model has been replicated nearly ten times in Morocco, and the Council wants to assist Indian dairy farmers in developing a similar concept tailored for conditions in India. In these projects, farmers supply the feedlot with their heifer calves, which then breeds the heifers and “sellsâ€� them back to farmers. This model allows dairy farmers to concentrate on what they do best – milk cows – and offers economies of scale to build efficiencies in calf rearing.
“India’s challenges are unique, and there’s no such thing as a copy and paste model, but the information GCMMF learned in Morocco is invaluable,â€� said Amit Sachdev, USGC’s India representative. “The team learned of several new technologies they can immediately implement in Northwest India, as well as propose some new project concepts to management.â€�
The team was able to witness COPAG’s milk processing facilities, milk checkoff-funded private schooling, COPAG’s cooperative structure, innovative techniques for animal husbandry in dry climates and, of course, the signature calf rearing project. From rudimentary technologies like ear tags and the utilization of corn silage to more sophisticated improvements like sexed semen and embryo transfer, the team was able to identify areas for improvement to take back to Gujarat.
Terry Vinduska, past chairman of USGC and current board member of the Kansas Corn Commission, also joined the group. The Kansas Corn Commission was a founding sponsor of the project, recognizing the potential India possesses for U.S. feed grains and co-products.
“I think the trip was amazing. This beautiful 16,000 head feedlot that the Council was instrumental in creating serves as the model for the world of how to develop an efficient industry,� Vinduska said.
The Council is working to partner with Amul to develop a similar heifer conditioning project, adapted to Indian conditions, to improve nutritional intake, advance genetic progress and increase animal overall husbandry, with the ultimate goal of improving the farmer’s milk production.
“I truly feel with the help of our members, the Council can generate a transformative wave in the way Indians rear their dairy heifers and ultimately impact productivity to seriously improve lives,” Roepke said. “Today will be remembered as the first step in that journey.â€�
Click here to watch a video from the trip.