Overview

In many African countries, small-scale livestock producers (SSPs) have limited or no access to high-quality veterinary medical products. Economic losses due to livestock diseases limit farmers’ opportunities and livelihoods, as they face deficient product availability and affordability, poor distribution channels, and low levels of awareness about livestock diseases.

The LastMile Initiative, implemented in partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) across nine African countries (Kenya, Cameroon, Mali, Nigeria, Tanzania, Chad, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Benin), is designed to address weak distribution channels of animal health products as well as helping the SSPs in these countries to increase their knowledge on disease prevention and treatment.

Objectives

The main objective of the LastMile project is to facilitate Boehringer Ingelheim’s expansion into the African market and thereby afford SSPs with an improved portfolio of animal health products. This is achieved by the registration of a range of products in the countries in scope and building awareness at farm level through visits by veterinary para professionals.

Further information

Boehringer Ingelheim

Overview

In Tanzania and other developing countries, veterinary professionals tend to be concentrated in urban areas leading to a very limited contact between veterinary doctors or vet paraprofessionals and rural small-scale livestock producers (SSPs), who keep most of the livestock and poultry. The Milele Animal Health project has been designed to address this gap by sourcing, promoting and distributing affordable, high-quality animal health products and services to SSPs in Tanzania.

Objectives

• Proactively supplying animal health products and services direct to SSPs
• Distributing high quality and affordable products to village agrovet shops
• Offering animal health services and advisory on best husbandry practices to SSPs

Further information

Milele Animal Health

The Milele Animal Health Project brochure 

Overview

There are an estimated 3.8 million households which keep and depend on livestock and poultry for food and income in Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso and Senegal. Distribution systems supplying animal health products suitable for small-scale producers (SSPs) in most West African countries are often inefficient and passive and their reach is limited.  There is an opportunity for a Manufacturer to extend its current activities to develop a distribution network which will better serve the needs of the SSPs and in doing so capture a significant share of the potential market value.

Objectives

The main aim of this project is to support traditional and emergent commercial poultry and ruminant farming by modernizing the distribution system and promoting prophylaxis and biosecurity measures to retailers and farmers.

Further information

Laprovet

Overview

The livestock sector in West Africa is characterised by an increasingly commercially focused poultry industry, employing modern intensive production systems, and a largely pastoralist small-scale ruminant production base, employing traditional migratory practices in the region in search of grazing. The region’s livestock potential is less acknowledged, and this is reflected in, and by, the low product sales and under-developed animal health services.

The provision of animal healthcare services is important in the development of the livestock sector due to the devastating effects of diseases, known to have grave economic consequences on the livelihood of small-scale producers (SSPs) and ultimately on the economy of a nation.

Objectives

The aim of the project is to establish a new Animal Health Product Distribution enterprise serving SSPs in Cote D’Ivoire. In broad concept, the enterprise will be a joint venture between Afrivet and cooperative of private sector veterinarians or veterinary paraprofessionals. The enterprise will leverage:

• Afrivet’s veterinary extension and support materials for the benefit of SSPs
• Afrivet’s product sourcing and branding capabilities, together with the aggregate demand from the veterinary group, to optimize product supply
• The enterprise aims to reach and serve 400,000 SSPs in year 5

Further information

Afrivet

Overview

The animal health inputs supply chain in Ghana and Nigeria is concentrated in large cities where importers are based. Agrovet shops in rural areas where most of the small-scale livestock production occurs are relatively underserved, typically having to travel long distances into the cities to procure products. This results in small-scale livestock producers (SSPs) experiencing unreliable supply of products which tend to be expensive.

Objectives

The aim of this project is to set up a new company that will source quality animal health inputs and supply them to rural agrovets. The project started in Ghana and will subsequently expand into Nigeria.