Successful ESADA conference

The Eastern and Southern African Dairy Association hosts an annual conference to share knowledge and experience throughout the dairy sector of the region. This year, the conference took place in Nairobi, Kenya, from 24 to 26 September 2014. Dr Koos Coetzee and Ms Helene Pheiffer represented the MPO at the conference. Mr Koos Pienaar was re-elected as vice-president of the ESADA board. Mr Pienaar is regarded with high esteem and his enthusiasm was visible in the various activities he had to facilitate during the conference. ESADA intends to present the 2015 conference in South Africa.

The conference was broken down into various topical sessions that cover key areas affecting the dairy industry:

• world dairy production

• world dairy trade and markets

• dairy policies and economics

• dairy production for the global market

• competiveness and sustainability in the African dairy industry

• animal health and welfare, milk processing technologies for African dairy

• animal feeding and management

• food safety and nutrition

• standardisation, and

• African dairy development and sustainability.

The African dairy market differs from the South African dairy market as it is dominated by small-scale farmers and only 20% of milk reaches processors. The greatest challenge therefore remains the commercialisation of the dairy industry and commercial investment through market-driven development and development partners. Africa needs to adopt a cooperative model to increase value chain efficiency and to increase the returns to the smallholders, the same model that’s been promulgated for the South African small holding market.

Mr Koos Pienaar – vice-president ESADA

Dr Koos Coetzee – MPO economist, Ms Helene Pheiffer –

MPO Institute for Dairy Technology and Mr Koos Pienaar