Togo to open husbandry, dairy Co-op training school in Barkoissi

Togo is set to open a husbandry co-op training school (IFAD) will open in Barkoissi, by the end of October. The institution’s management made the announcement and said, an exam to recruit the first batch (90 people) of students will soon take place. Youth, aged from 16 to 29, who hold at least a junior-high certificate are eligible. The trainees will be taught how to raise cattle and poultry, and get training on local production and processing of dairy.

“Focus will be put on mastering the whole dairy value chain, from production, processing into various products like yogurts, modern and traditional cheese, through to their commercialization,” Said the management.

Stunted animal growth

After graduating from the institute, the trainees will be deployed in the local husbandry, meat, and dairy industries. Some of them, the IFAD management added, could work at a dairy plant with a processing capacity of 1,000 L per day. The plant is on the same site as the school.

This project should help Togo cut its dairy imports. Presently, the country is said to import 20,000 t of milk per year. Poorly ventilated and run down, enclosures for livestock such as goats, sheep and chickens in Togo are often plagued by poor hygiene and maintenance, resulting in stunted animal growth. Lacking routine veterinary care, these animals often succumb to disease before they can be sold.

It is therefore not surprising that livestock production in Togo remains challenging and financially unrewarding, as most livestock producers do not have the financial resources or technical know-how to build bigger enclosures, vaccinate their animals, or provide them with better feed.