Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Agricultural chains

Strengthening the dairy goat value chain in Trinidad and Tobago

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

At the beginning of this process, a group of more than 20 actors participated in a series of workshops to identify the main challenges facing the value chain. 

IICA has been collaborating with the Trinidad and Tobago Goat and Sheep Society (TTGSS), under its Flagship Project: Sustainability and Competitiveness of Agricultural Chains, to develop the local dairy goat value chain.

At the beginning of this process, a group of more than 20 actors participated in a series of workshops to identify the main challenges facing the value chain. 

Among these challenges they identified the following:

  • The need to strengthen the institutional framework to improve support to the  sector.
  • Establish and strengthen coordination and dialogue mechanisms.
  • Strengthen technical capabilities of the different chain actors, including extension officers.
  • Define Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for producing high quality milk, with acceptable standards for packaging and labelling for stakeholders in the chain.
  • Strengthen the capacity of producers, processors and others along the goat dairy value chain to consistently produce high quality milk and value-added products from goats’ milk to effectively access markets and improve income.
  • Implement a marketing strategy to take advantage of business opportunities beyond the current farm-gate sale.

Based on those challenges, the following lines of action were prioritized:

  • Establishment and strengthening of the dairy goat chain committee.
  • Design and implementation of a capacity building program to promote product and process innovations.
  • Facilitate market access for value added products.

Progress

In order to guide the dairy goat value chain development, a Dairy Stakeholder’s Committee was established and a business plan to achieve the goals of increased production; productivity and market access for value added products was developed and is now being implemented.

Sixty (60) members of the TTGSS and other stakeholders were able to increase their productivity, quality of goat’s milk and other value added products in order to increase access to markets through a series of capacity building activities and instruments.

Regarding market access, a marketing strategy was developed under the business plan for the chain, including information on market segmentation, promotion and branding, market penetration, marketing channels, pricing strategy and new product development.  

The progress accomplished so far has been due to the great interest and enthusiasm by the industry, ignited by the focus and direction from the stakeholders’ committee and by the capacity-building program for stakeholders.  Another key factor is the support received by various agencies and institutions such as the Graduate School of Business Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine of the University of West Indies, and the Supermarkets’ Association.

For 2017, the Project will continue supporting the strengthening of the Dairy Goat Committee as well as the capacities of the different actors, and consolidating the marketing strategy, focusing on the penetration of local value added products in the mainstream supermarkets. 

For more information contact: daniel.rodriguez@iica.int

*The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and they do not reflect the position of the Institute on the topics presented.

*This post appears in the IICA Delegation in the USA Newsletter – March – April 2017

 

Share

Related news​

Lima, Perú

December 13, 2024

Officials from CAN member countries strengthen their agrifood trade capacities, with the support of IICA

The aim of the activity, which was held at the Headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Andean Community in Lima, was to analyze the main mechanisms and principles that foster international agrifood trade and regional economic integration in CAN, as a means of fostering more effective participation in international forums and joint actions to strengthen agrifood systems, as well as to facilitate access to regional and international markets.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

December 12, 2024

U.S. Department of Agriculture and IICA visited Trinidad and Tobago as their second stop in the testing program against the African Swine Fever

In a joint effort between experts from IICA and the USDA, Trinidad and Tobago was visited, as the second country in the Caribbean to establish the surveillance and prevention strategy, as the actions to be taken against the ASF, a program that will be extended to other countries in the region.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José, Costa Rica

December 10, 2024

With global production growing by 50% over the past decade, liquid biofuels continue to consolidate their position as a key tool for the energy transition, reveals the latest edition of the IICA Atlas

The latest edition of the Atlas focuses on biofuels such as bioethanol, biodiesel, and sustainable aviation fuels, with information drawn from bibliographic sources and complemented by statistical data on raw materials, production trends, and regulatory policies.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins