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| June 2023 |
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Dear ,
Thank you for reading our newsletter.
Among our clients we hear often that global climate change is felt locally. This is combined with increased pressure on availability and prices of agricultural resources such as land, water, labor and fertilizers. The request for tailored solutions to become more efficient with resources in a sustainable and cost-effective way is therefore often heard within our projects.
In this newsletter and on our website ( www.hollanddoor.nl), you can read about change and improvement. We support our clients in making their crop and animal production more sustainable, but also making their business economically viable.
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Supporting Georgia toward improved greenhouse cultivation
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Georgian company Noblex Ltd. recently hired HollandDoor to run training sessions for its staff and farmers on the topic of greenhouse management. In May 2023, HollandDoor trainers Geerten van der Lugt and Marc van Stokkum provided a practice-oriented training program in two regions in eastern Georgia, covering themes such as greenhouse climate control, fertigation, irrigation, and plant protection. Attended by a total of 50 participants, the sessions featured a combination of theoretical discussion and practical activities in the greenhouse. As a result of the program, HollandDoor has trained and inspired Noblex Ltd. staff members to deal with day-to-day horticultural challenges, which will help the company improve its productivity and income going forward.
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The impact of our training program in Indonesia
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Starting in 2018, HollandDoor coordinated three Nuffic-funded OKP programs in Indonesia. During the program, 16 SMKs (vocational high schools) were involved as a recipient.
Three years after the first Nuffic-funded OKP program ended, the head of SMKN 2 Subang, Ramlis, gave an interview commending the collaboration between the Netherlands and Indonesia. In his assessment, the joint effort has had a significant impact on the development of SMKN 2 Subang, especially in the agricultural sector.
“This collaboration included four pillars: institutions, curriculum development, increasing the competence of educators and education, and infrastructure development. The positive impact of the collaboration on SMKN 2 Subang has been considerable. We received assistance for two periods, with funds being spent on programs that advance our progress across each of the four pillars,” said Ramlis.
One of the key learnings for SMKN 2 Subang was related to project-based learning (PBL). The person in charge of cooperation from SMKN 2 Subang, Eti Rohayati, said these training sessions strengthened the innovation capabilities of everyone at SMKN 2 Subang.
“During the PBL sessions, students were taught how to make, process, package, and market a product. This mind-opening experience gave students the chance to practice their skills directly and make products that can be sold immediately. Indirectly, the students also learnt valuable entrepreneurship skills,” said Eti.
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Touched by Prabath, a Sri Lankan dairy farmer
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During a visit to Sri Lanka for the kick-off of a poultry project, Lisanne Oskam also visited a farmer who completed the online RVO Dairy project on sustainable feed and waste management. Back in 2020, when Prabath participated in the training, he had two cows and worked as a truck driver. After completing the online training, he decided to quit his driving job and become a full-time farmer, applying the lessons from the training in his company. He is now farming with seven cows, selling fresh milk, milk toffees, and compost, and can make a good living from his business.
Lisanne: "when I visited Prabath, his cows were in very good health, and I was inspired by his passion, vision, entrepreneurship, and perseverance. Prabath’s story underscores the fact that online training can lead to fantastic results if you use the right methods."
All in all, it was fantastic to visit this future-proof dairy farm!
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BFA project holds final conference in Addis Ababa
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Bright Future in Agriculture (BFA) is a three-year project (2019–2021) that supports the agricultural technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector in Ethiopia. On March 7 and 8 2023, the project held its closing conference at Harmony Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The event was attended by partners and stakeholders representing the private, academic, and public sectors. The full program included plenary presentations, panel discussions, and group workshops on various topics.
Following the conference, there was still time to hold the final training sessions on location at Alage & Wolaita Sodo ATVET College. These sessions focused on the implementation of the practical lessons and skills sheets developed by the schools in their daily lessons. As CowSignals® trainers, we also accompanied teachers on a visit to the school farms, noting the adjustments that have already been made in the stables and determining what can still be modified.
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Introducing GoatSignals® in India
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Almost three years ago, HollandDoor started to conduct CowSignals® training activities in India.
Following the positive impact of this program, HollandDoor is developing the GoatSignals® concept with the support of the Netherlands-based CowSignals® Training Company. Meat and milk from goats are very popular in many countries around the world, in part due to how economical goat farming is. For every milking cow, you can raise and milk three to five goats.
There is more and more interest in keeping goats inside, as this approach leads to better results in milk and meat production. The GoatSignals® concept can contribute to a better understanding of the housing of goats, by analyzing feed, water, light, air, rest, and space on the farm. Score cards and checklists are available to assess performance on feeding, reproduction, health, and milking, including Body Condition Score (BCS) and Rumen Fill Score (RFS). Therefore, later this year, we will hold the first GoatSignals® workshops in the Indian states of Punjab and Maharashtra, working together with farmers’ associations and agricultural colleges.
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