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Wales for Africa: Stories of Success

How to Inseminate a Cow
Dolen Ffermio: Uganda

Richard Jones, Oswestry-based farmer and Chair of Dolen Ffermio Wales is very much a farming country so it's only natural that connections should arise with agricultural sectors in Africa.

In some parts of Africa, having a cow or a goat can be the difference between surviving and living. Dolen Ffermio, centred around Oswestry and Llanfyllin, was set up in 1989 with the intention of raising awareness amongst Welsh farming communities about North-South interdependence in agriculture. Since then, its core people are more likely to be found with a syringe in their hands than a factsheet.

And what would be in the syringe? Richard Jones, Oswestry-based farmer and Chair of Dolen Ffermio, explains: "We began in Busoga, central Uganda, with a project that involved training vets in the area in how to inseminate cattle. We provided the semen and the infrastructure, the motorbikes and all the artificial insemination equipment."

The potential benefits of the scheme are enormous. Cross breeding local cows with high quality cattle can improve milk production from 3 litres to 10 litres per day. "For quite a small input you can get a huge difference in output,” explains Richard.

There are now many of these improved cross breeds in Busoga. Just one can make a dramatic difference in the quality of life of a rural family.

“Dairy gives nutrition to children and provides a cash cow of milk. Excess milk can be taken to market every day and sold for money to spend on things that households otherwise cannot afford, like education, medicines and a balanced diet.

“A daily income gives a certain amount of stability to the household and increases their ability to raise micro-finance as well, which is extremely important."

The project was joint-funded by the Overseas Development Agency (now DfID). They managed to get 20,000 straws of semen (usually costing £10 each) donated by Somerset Cattle Breeders.

Lorna Brown, vice chair of Dolen Ffermio, a vet and geneticist, explains: "We paid for artificial insemination training for the vets, which costs about £150 per person. We have also managed to make vets central to local life - now they are able to provide other services for cattle and goat owners too."

Gideon Nadiope, Dolen Ffermio's chief vet out there, is central to the project. "We go directly through him," says Richard. "There is no interim infrastructure involved - what people give here goes straight to grassroots."

But not everything has gone smoothly, as Richard has seen during his 15 visits. "We initially developed 12 centres for insemination but this decreased to six. Liquid nitrogen, essential for artificial insemination, has been difficult to access.”

"Our work should be done by the state system,” explains Richard. “In Uganda in the 1960s there was a well-developed state veterinary research organisation but, under Amin’s rule, the country lost its infrastructure. Since then, the Agricultural Advisory Service has evaporated too. That’s why what we do is so important.”

Their next project involved supplying improved goats. Not so long ago, in Busoga’s neighbouring area, Teso, a nomadic cattle rustling tribe stole all the cattle from the locals. Restocking with new cows would have been prohibitively expensive for them, so Dolen Ffermio helped with goats, which are cheaper and gave the most benefit.

Val Talbot, secretary of Dolen Ffermio, explains, “The project helps the poorer people who don’t have enough land for even one cow but who can keep a few goats. A goat breeding project was set up to increase meat and milk production from the local Small East African goat by crossing with South African Boer meat goats and European dairy breeds.”

"We are working with women's groups to develop a centre at Kamuli for improved breeding,” adds Richard.

Dolen Ffermio’s third and most recent project is in the Kumi district. Its aim is to assist primary school age orphans by providing them with either a local female goat, the use of an improved male goat shared with the community, chickens or orange tree seedlings. As well as improving their diets, older orphans will be able to sell any surplus to pay for their secondary school fees and other essentials, thus gaining security and skills for their futures.

There’s still much to do: “We are now set to expand activities in Montgomeryshire and Eastern Uganda – creating links with schools, young farmer clubs and farming organizations,” remarks Val.

Funds for the projects are raised locally around Oswestry and Llanfyllin through coffee mornings, talks and a Christmas catalogue, which contains items like sponsor a goat. The catalogue is Dolen Ffermio's most successful fundraising initiative. It raised a staggering £7,300 last year, just among locals, as well as raising awareness dramatically of the goat project and increasing membership. "People are so generous," smiles Richard.

“Our work has been one-way for most of the last 13 years, but now we have money to bring people over here and have teacher exchanges, for example - that’s our newest project. We can really show the benefits; people in Wales can see directly how people in Africa have been affected.”

This year's catalogue and more information, can be found on the website: www.dolen-ffermio.org.uk.

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