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Partnership Development with JLTA

A team of four livestock specialists from Japan Livestock Technology Association (JLTA) made a visit to Heifer projects in two provinces, Takeo and Koh Kong, on November 28 and 30. The purpose of the visit was to conduct a study and to seek feasibility in assisting in improving livestock breeding and feeding to contribute to social and economic development at grass-roots level. The study team also sought to understand Heifer's value-based holistic community development approach with the use of livestock as a tool for enabling community members to seek self-reliance by working together for a sustainable community. The Japanese team met with the community members, collecting data on livestock and animal forage, breed and feeding, and income generation from livestock. The team learned about the self help group (SHG) formation, SHG members’ living conditions before participation in the project, the change of their life after participation in the project, and the current problems the community was facing. A critical issue identified during the meeting was the lack of land and fields for grazing animals. To contribute to the solution, the team encouraged the farmers to grow legumes and grass around their housing and process silage and urea rice straw to increase feed quality for the livestock. The team was also impressed with Heifer's “Passing on the Gift” approach in which the project beneficiaries passed on not only offspring, but also knowledge and experiences they acquired to other poor families. In a bilateral meeting with the Heifer Cambodia team on December 2, JLTA found a possibility in working in partnership with Heifer Cambodia in terms of information exchange to assist rural communities in two areas: animal breeding and animal feeding developments. However, more information on target group and SHG formation is needed by JLTA. Heifer Cambodia will facilitate the project partners to provide the information. JLTA, a non-governmental organization, aims at playing important roles in the promotion of the livestock industry by encouraging the advancement of livestock technology, international cooperation and communication among livestock specialists and their groups.

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