World Vision is improving the skills and knowledge of milk producers

Knowledge and experience are two primary factors in the success of any job or skill. With years of experience, the farmers of Ain Arab, South of Lebanon, lack some essential knowledge in order to have the best outcome for their products. Thanks to World Vision, around 10 farmers are attending sessions with professionals to learn more about the right practices from milk composition, factors affecting the microbiological content of milk, gastro-intestinal diseases in cattle and more.

Nasser works in milk production for many years now by selling his products to the houses and shops in the village nearby. During the sessions, he is learning how to produce more with less cost, like preparing the cow's food. He is also learning with the other farmers attending the sessions about infections and how to check the milk, "I never thought about the gastrointestinal diseases might affect the cattle", he says.

Thanks to these sessions, Nasser feels more confident while selling his dairy products, "I am assured of the quality of my milk because we are testing them", he declares.

"We used to prepare the cheese in a different way, we did not know how much the temperature will affect the result", Rida, a farmer from Marjayoun states. Like most of the farmers attending the sessions, Rida used to work based on the experience he acquired throughout the years. After he joined the sessions, everything changed, "We work now based on knowledge and the experiments that the consultant is showing us", Rida explains.

Aya is open to learning new information, "It is interesting to have someone guide us, especially if this will improve the quality of our products", she says. Selling fresh products can be delicate; therefore, she was happy when the consultant taught them how to conserve milk and the importance of food hygiene. "It is easier to avoid the previous practices now, and we can notice the improvement in the quality of our products", she admits.

Fatima likes to attend the sessions because of how much World Vision are professional with the way they deal with every single person, "We signed up for the sessions knowing that it will help us improve our products and work", she explains.

"I learned how to keep the milk cold when transporting it to the shops", explains Mariam. Before the sessions, she used to sell bad milk without knowing the reason, Mariam clarifies "we know how to conserve it even without electricity and sell it fresh".