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Dairy
Management and
Veterinary Capacity Building
in Lebanon
Project Report, Executive Summary
In June 1997 the Emerging Markets Office published a report titled Dairy Industry Technical Assistance Project in Lebanon that found Lebanon to be a good market for U.S. Holstein cattle. The Large Lebanese dairy processors are willing to expand their intake of locally produced milk, if a good quality product is available. However, if the quantity of cattle increased there was concern that there are only 5-10 well trained and licensed veterinarians in Lebanon to manage a growing national herd currently at 20,750. To maintain a high level of quality milk production the number of trained veterinarians needs to increase. The Dairy Management and Veterinary Professional Development Program, funded by the Emerging Markets Office and managed by the Professional Development Program of the Foreign Agricultural Service, took a large step in addressing the need for increased veterinary capacity in Lebanon. A step that the European cattle suppliers weren’t willing to take.
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES
Eight Lebanese veterinarians were selected by the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture to receive three weeks of specialized dairy health and management training at the Virginia Tech College of Dairy Science and Veterinary Medicine which was followed by farm visits in Virginia and Pennsylvania. The training at Virginia Tech covered the following topics: dairy nutrition, sanitation, housing, reproduction, mastitis, genetics, herd replacements, obstetrics, neontology, nutritional diseases, calf/heifer nutrition and milk production. The farm visits in Virginia and Pennsylvania were made with practicing veterinarians as they made their dairy calls. Following actual veterinarians on their daily calls enabled the veterinarians to see in practice what they learned in the classroom at Virginia Tech.
EVALUATION
The goal of the program was to improve the health and production management of the growing national herd in Lebanon. The veterinarians felt that this goal can be accomplished, but they need improved extension education services from the Ministry of Agriculture in Lebanon. In conversations with the group at the end of the program they recommended that four government extension personnel should come to the United States to study our extension education system. They heard of the Cochran Fellowship Program and felt this would be a good avenue for a future activity.
This Executive Summary is taken from a report by the Emerging Markets Program of the Foreign Agricultural Service at the United States Department of Agriculture. To obtain a copy of the full report of this assessment, please fax a request to the Marketing Operations Staff at (202) 720-9361 or email emo@fas.usda.gov .
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