Page 22 - AA 2024

Iraq

FAO Continues Transforming Dairy Sector in Ninewa,

Iraq with MoA and EU Support

In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and with
funding from the European Union (EU), continues to support
and develop the dairy value chain, reaffirming its commit-
ment to strengthening the livestock and dairy sectorin Iraq.
On the 10th of September, the FAO Iraq team, led by Dr Salah
El Hajj Hassan, FAO Representative, conducted a mission to
Bashiqa, Ninewa Governorate. This visit is part of the efforts
made by the organization and its partners within a compre-
hensive approach to support the development and strength-
ening of the livestock and dairy sectors in the region.

During this mission, three core activities were un-
dertaken:
ducers, collectors and processors from different areas of
1. Distribution of High-Quality Equipment - Empow- the governorate will benefit from this initiative. These units
ering Dairy Stakeholders
will facilitate the collection and distribution of an astound-
FAO hosted a distribution ceremony at the Bashiqa Agri- ing 250 tons of milk per day, ensuring impeccable hygiene
cultural Directorate to distribute a transformative set of high- standards, unrivalled quality and prevention of spoilage. This
quality stainless steel milk transport and processing equip- transformational leap is expected to improve the quality of
ment. This initiative represents a groundbreaking milestone, dairy products, positioning them as premium competitors to
marking the first time that this state-of-theart equipment has imported alternatives.
been widely introduced in Iraq.
Dr Chedly Kayouli, FAO International Livestock Specialist,
In presence of the Director of Bashiqa District, M. Ghazouan highlighted the critical importance of stainless-steel equip-
Daoudi who praised FAO’s work in the region and expressed ment in maintaining milk hygiene and quality during trans-
the Directorate’s unwavering support, the FAO Representa- port. He also provided comprehensive guidance on how to
tive in Iraq, expressed his deep appreciation for the partner- use the equipment, encouraging beneficiaries to maximize its
ship between FAO and the MoA, recognizing the success of potential for business growth.
the model implemented in Ninewa, which has played a key
role in the return of residents to their villages . He also high- 2. Peer-to-Peer Training – Building capacities and
lighted FAO’s comprehensive approach to supporting the en- Knowledge Sharing in Action
tire dairy value chain, from feed production to milk process- Under FAO strategy to build capacities of national partners,
ing and marketing and praised the hard work of farmers and FAO is progressing in the Peer to peer training initiative, a
dairy producers in restoring confidence in Iraqi products.
dedicated team of extension officers from southern governor-
During the distribution event, 3,500 of the 7,000 stainless ates (Basra, Thi Qar and Missan) who embarked on a week-
steel units were delivered. Approximately 5,000 milk pro- long immersive training with the MoA extension officers of
Ninewa region. This peer-to-peer training initiative, part of
FAO’s collaboration with the MoA and the EU, serves as a
platform for these extension officers to gain insights and best
practices from their counterparts.

During their week-long stay, the extension officers will par-
ticipate in extensive training sessions, farmer field schools
and field visits. These experiences will immerse them in the
implementation mechanisms developed by FAO in the Ninewa
EU funded project - a project that has achieved unprecedent-
20 Arab Agriculture 2024