Dairy is an important component of the agro-food sub-sector in Nepal.
Uniterra is working with District Milk Producers Cooperatives Unions (DMPCUs) to enhance the capacity of primary milk producer's cooperatives in production, marketing and business development opportunities, and to promote inclusion of women and disadvantaged groups in cooperatives.
My mandate will be a multi partner assignment where I will work closely with 3 DMPCUs; Lalitpur DMPCU, Rupandehi DMPCU and Makawanpur DMPCU. These three DMPCUs are members of the Central Dairy Cooperative Association Nepal (CDCAN).
Because of its location in an active seismic zone of the Himalayas, and it’s mountainous topography, Nepal is prone to a wide range of naturally occurring disasters including earthquake, landslide, avalanche, flood from rivers and glacial lakes and also drought, windstorm, hail and—in the case of livestock—epidemic disease.
In Nepal the Ministry of Agriculture and various Cooperatives provide compensation for farmers whose crops are affected by natural perils including landslide, flood and river erosion, drought and hail. However compensation is only provided to livestock producers in the event of major calamities resulting in the death of their animals. Also, compensation is usually paid in kind in the form of vaccines or medication for livestock, or occasionally replacement animals such as poultry and goats.
Generally dairy farmers are from poor economic backgrounds. Investment in cattle (cow or buffalo) is a large financial investment for them. In the event of death resulting from disease or accident, there is no provision for compensation. Some of the cooperatives are initiating a cattle insurance system, however due to the lack of experience the insurance this has not been effective.
With a solid insurance system in place, small farmers would not need to take on such a big risk and there would be more interested in raising cattle on a commercial scale, thus helping to generate income as well as to attract youth into the profession.
My role is to learn the livestock insurance needs of the 3 DMPCU's in the country's context and advise and provide information on the livestock insurance system in Canada, and how they can integrate or incorporate it to apply or use in their system.
Over the course of my mandate I will:
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· Visit the Insurance cooperatives in the Laliptur area, review and study the practice/context and understand the needs of the Organization regarding livestock insurance.
· Provide information on the Livestock Insurance system practiced in Canada for example.
· Through a one/two day workshop, advise and guide the 3 DMPCU Teams how this can be done in the Nepali context, based on previous reviews and observations.
I will reside in Kathmandu for a brief stay after my arrival. Then I will travel to the Lalitpur DMCPU in Chapagoan for 2/3 days where I will visit the insurance cooperatives there and I will have the opportunity to study and understand the insurance system practiced in these cooperatives. Then I will travel to Hetauda, Makawanpur, District which lies in the South West from Kathmandu - 3.5 to 4.5 hours by land. ).
