By Wezi Tjaronda WINDHOEK Theft of building materials for the collection/processing unit of the FAO-funded milk project in the North, has delayed the project from commencing with operations as scheduled. The Milk project, started in 2003 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, and funded by the Food and Agricultural Organization, aims at developing the dairy industry at village level in order to improve livelihoods through organizing small-scale milk collection and processing facilities. Project coordinator, Willie Nauhaus, told New Era yesterday that the project promoters anticipated production to commence in January with the start of the rainy season, but this had failed due to the theft of building materials. Nauhaus said the project was hit by one problem after another, the latest being the theft. The project is now held in abeyance until the suspect is arrested so that the materials can hopefully be released for the building to be completed. The project has stalled, and fears are that it may not continue once the rainy season is over. “It depends on whether they can find the person (suspect) and release the materials, but if it takes months and the rainy season is over and pastures are dry, it won’t be good anymore,” he said. The basis of the project was the potential that Namibia has to produce enough milk to meet its demand, but only if it mobilizes the small-scale milk-producers. An FAO background document on the project had it that what was holding up progress was the perception that milk processed locally is unhygienic and unsafe, although its prices are much lower. With efficient collection, processing and marketing systems in place, the quantity of locally-produced milk available to processors and consumers could be increased significantly, while the risk from diseases such as Tuberculosis could also be eliminated. The training part, which was the first component of the project, during which farmers and students received training, was done at the Ogongo Agricultural College last year on topics such as milk-production, hygiene and basic knowledge on milk-processing. After training, though, it was felt that there was need for a pilot project to start processing milk, after which a farmer’s cooperative – the Ambuga Ekoto Dairy Cooperative Society – was formed and its members were trained. It is envisaged that the project will help small-scale farmers who sell their milk along the roadside to get organized and market the milk, thus enabling them to fetch better prices while enabling them to add value to the milk and not just sell their product in raw form, as is the case now. The project will also demonstrate improved low-cost practical technologies for small-scale milk-collection, including the preservation system, as well as on farm-processing and marketing of butter, buttermilk and fresh cheese. Technologies such as butter-production from cream, rather than from whole milk, processing of pasteurized milk and yoghurt and pasteurised fruit juices, will also allow for the cheap and safe marketing of small volumes of milk and dairy products. According to studies conducted in some African and Asian countries, about six farm jobs can be created for each 100 litres of milk collected, processed and marketed by the small-scale sector.