Capacity building for dairy farmers towards commercialization of green corn silage, haylage and urea molasses mineral block

Abstract

The study aimed to capacitate farmers as innovators in utilizing local feed resources for silage production, haylage, and Urea Molasses Mineral Block for commercialization. Commercialization among farmers hindered by: farmer's financing being supply-driven packages; limited programs designed to enhance farmer's entrepreneurship capabilities; scarce resources to invest on product's commercialization; and inadequate entrepreneurial competencies and exposure to business. After assessing their Personal Entrepreneurial Competence, training was undertaken through farmer based cooperative activities such as: assessment of farmer's personal entrepreneurial competencies; strategic analysis of cooperative competencies relative to environment; farmer's technical preparation; entrepreneurial competency enhancement; finance linkaging; and market linkaging/ market. The participatory operationalization components of farmers' capacity building resulted to: leaders' and members' active participation in planning and operationalization of trainings, mentoring, business plan preparations through resource sharing, decision-making and open discussions; increased support from government agencies; needs, resources, and capabilities of farmers' strengths and weaknesses became the hub of all capacity building activities; build-up of awareness on value of green corn as silage raw material, provide alternative to decrease risks from natural calamities risks; advocated for more demand-driven financing programs of government; expansion of programs on shared facilities and machineries; opened market linkages for farmers; produced green corn silage; enhanced their capacities as entrepreneurs and leaders; integrators ushered their entry to silage commercialization as partners and raw material suppliers; and access to cooperative's financing requires prompt repayment and performance.