The four student volunteers of the ninth dispatch for the Project for Strengthening small dairy farmers in Itapúa, Paraguay (FOPROLEI, which started in academic 2012) – Junnosuke Mae (fourth year, School of Cooperative Veterinary Medicine) as well as Minori Araki, Momona Hashimoto and Hiroshi Hirata (all three: third year, School of Agriculture) – arrived in Paraguay on August 18 and worked hard in Coronel Bogado, southern Itapua from August 21 (Mon.).
Their missions were to conduct a door-to-door survey of local farmers from dawn, confirm and report the results of supportive activities by long-term volunteers in the four areas of milking hygiene, feeding, reproduction management and management, and present the results of the past five years as the compilation of this project at the final debrief session.
Blessed with good weather, they successfully finished the field survey, and then provided detailed data to report the results of efforts for improvement by dairy farmers (improved milk quality, silage preparation and improved grassy vegetation, the spread of artificial insemination and milk shipment from the established milk collection center, etc.) at debrief sessions in three cities (Coronel Bogado, General Artigas and San Pedro del Paraná) from September 18 to 20.
It has been decided that the second phase of this project will begin in next April based on the results of the first phase. The final debrief session was also attended by those involved in the three cities that will participate in the second phase (Fram, San Juan del Paraná and Carmen del Paraná).
The ninth team of short-term student volunteers completed all activities on September 21 (Thu.) and left for home on September 22 (Fri.).
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- Student volunteers lead local farmers through the milking process.
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- Student volunteers prepare for the debrief session at a workroom in their hotel.
