Main project objective:

To contribute to know-how enhancement of northern Moldova´s dairy farmers and their active use of acquired know-how in practice.

Implementation period: 11/09/2017–28/02/2018

DIRECT BENEFICIARIES: Small and medium dairy farmers from Northern Moldova, who will participate in the internship at Czech dairy farms, study visits and capacity building conference in Prague, and back in Moldova will pilot acquired know-how and conduct workshops introducing the know-how to other farmers.

Result 1: 7 northern Moldova´s dairy farmers (direct beneficiaries) recruited and 3 Czech model dairy farmers selected.

This output will be fulfilled through following activities: 1) recruitment announcement in northern Moldova; 2) personal meetings with applicants + filling up of pre-internship questionnaires to find out characteristics of applicants´ farms and applicants´ expectations from the internship; 3) selection of direct beneficiaries; 4) recruitment results announcement; 5) selection of Czech farmers to host the direct beneficiaries during the internship based on the farm characteristics (e.g. size) and expectations of direct beneficiaries.

Result 2: 7 northern Moldova´s dairy farmers´ knowledge assessed through pre-assessment.

This output will be reached through following activities: 1) pre-assessment test preparation according to FAO Guide to Good Dairy Farming Practice; 2) pre-assessment conducting; 3) pre-assessment tests evaluation

Result 3: 7 northern Moldova´s dairy farmers participated in the internship on Czech dairy farms.

Recruited dairy farmers from northern Moldova will go to Czech Rep. All necessary information about the internship will be shared with them again, education materials and other useful equipment will be handed over). Moldovan farmers will be transported to 3 different dairy Czech farms (3 + 2 +2), where they will spend 12 days. During that period they will acquire new knowledge and skills. They will be supervised by experienced Czech dairy farmers, who will be familiar with beneficiaries´ know-how gaps and will be gradually filling these gaps in. Moldovan farmers will visit at least one dairy farm in the neighborhood during their stays at the farms (excursion). The project coordinator will during Moldovan farmers´ stays at the Czech farms conduct monitoring visits of each farm accompanied by interpreter in order to ensure that all relevant know-how is transferred, well understood and possible problems solved. Direct beneficiaries will be picked up at the farms on 17th November 2017 and taken back to Prague, where they will participate in the capacity building conference on 18th November 2017.

Result 4: 7 northern Moldova´s dairy farmers´ progress evaluated through post-assessment.

The output will be reached through following activities: 1) post-assessment tests preparation according to FAO Guide to Good Dairy Farming Practice; 2) post-assessment conducting;3) post-assessment evaluation

Result 5: 7 northern Moldova´s dairy farmers participate on the capacity building conference.

Direct beneficiaries will participate on the capacity building conference in Prague, which will be opened to the public, as the audience. Lecturers for the conference have been chosen from agricultural experts from 3 different V4 countries – Slovakia, Poland and Czech Rep. The lecturers from 3 V4 countries cover by their expertise the biggest know-how gap areas of northern Moldova´s dairy farmers. These know-how gaps areas have been identified during the previous project of DECCB – CRD and ProCoRe as fodder crop production, animal nutrition, food safety, livestock breeding, farm waste management and agricultural marketing. These will be more specified after the direct beneficiaries take pre-assessment tests. The topics of the lectures will target these gaps.

Result 6: 7 northern Moldova´s dairy farmers pilot and promote newly acquired know-how in northern Moldova.

Direct beneficiaries will pilot acquired practices and knowledge on their own farms and promote them through workshops (1 participant = 1 workshop) and neighbor to neighbor consultations.

Main partner: Diaconia Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren – Center of Relief and Development (DECCB – CRD)

Diaconia ECCB – CRD´s mission is to help people stand on their own. Diaconia envisions a world where all members of the global community live with dignity, equality, and respect.
Northern Moldova´s farmers´ know-how improvement, active use, and dissemination of improved know-how will contribute to better work productivity, higher production of better quality
product and thus economic empowerment of dairy farmers in the region. Better incomes will help them to live dignified lives. All Diaconia’s around the world shares the same values such as hope, decency, help to people in need, respect, trust, tradition and inspiration, excellence, knack, esteem and understanding, love and mercy.

Pro Cooperare Regionala is the local partner from Moldova, which will implement activities related to this project during October 2017 – February 2018.