The country has around 0.6 million dairy cows producing about 193 kg/year/cow. Production is made essentially in extensive farming system (70 % of the milk), secondly in mixed semi-intensive farming systems (30 % of the milk), and in intensive and specialized milk farms (rare). The national milk production stands at 123,766 ton/year. This production is mainly consumed by the producer households and sold on the markets. Dairy processors collect less than 10 % of the national milk production. Yearly, 10 204 tons of milk equivalent are processed in dairies. Senegal imports yearly 26,104 tons of milk equivalent (mainly dried milk powder, 53%). The daily consumption of milk products (mostly milk) is around 22 kg/capita/year. The two dairies involved in the project are:

Laiterie du Berger (LDB)

LDB is a private company created in 2004 in Richard-Toll (16.4592954,-15.7264144). The LDB is currently supplied by nearly 900 milk farmers. The pastoral system is the most represented (85% of cases). These farms are located on the diéri, conducted extensively. In the agro-pastoral system (15% remaining), livestock is supplemented with crops residues (rice straw and sugar cane). Milk farmers suppliers are grouped in cooperative or independent. The LDB collects within a radius of about fifty kilometers around the plant. The average volume collected per day is 4,000 kg. The milk is processed and packaged at Richard-Toll and the production is sold mainly in the markets of Saint Louis and Dakar where LDB has its commercial headquarters and several thousand retailors. LDB produces a wide range of dairy products (pasteurised milk, yogurt, etc.).

Kirène

Kirène Group, founded in 2001, is located next to Diass (14.6696857,-17.0435805). The group launches in 2005 the manufacturing and marketing of Candia GrandLait brand, by creating the first Ultra High Temperature (UHT) milk sterilization unit in Senegal. Mainly based on imports, Kirene wants to develop its dairy activity. Kirène focuses on large farms. Kirène currently collects 800 litres per day. Milk is collected from 70 traditional milk farmers in the area of Fatick, and from 5 specialized and intensive milk farms located in the Niayes area. Kirene aims to reach a percentage of 15 to 20% of locally collected milk. Kirène has the capacity to process 5,000 kg of milk per day.

Challenges

• Laiterie du Berger: (i) to develop a livestock cooperative, (ii) create a service company, (iii) to develop dairy centres, (iv) to reduce the cost of collection, (v) to set up mini-farms, (vi) to settle the dairy core of pastoralists and set up local services
• Kirène: (i) to organize the collection of local milk produced on semi-intensive farms, (ii) to contract and support semi-intensive farmers in Dakar, Thiès and Fatick, (iii) to increase milk production and control production costs.