September 3, 2009

Land O’Lakes International Development announces the commencement of Phase Three of the Fallujah Women's Dairy Development Program in Iraq. The goal of the multi-phased program, which started in October 2008, is to create a sustainable source of income for dairy farmers in Fallujah, Iraq, by providing a market for their excess milk and enough dairy products to meet consumers’ demand. Phase Three of the program is to build a modular milk collection plant that will provide training and employment opportunities for women, as well as introduce raw and value-added dairy products such as pasteurized milk in bulk, sachets and yogurt in different sizes.

“The dairy plant will have the capacity to collect and process 1000 liters of milk per day,” said Zaheer Baber, Land O’Lakes Regional Director for Asia, Middle East, Latin America and Eastern Europe. “The plant will be manufactured in India, assembled in Iraq, and supply products to local restaurants and other institutions.”

The Fallujah Women's Dairy Development Program began Phase One in the fall of 2008. At that time, a report was issued to the United States Marines which outlined the current state of the dairy sector in Fallujah, Saqlawiyah and Ramadi sub-districts of eastern Anbar Province. It also assessed the feasibility of establishing a dairy processing plant for the Fallujah Women’s Cultural Center (FWCC). In late 2008, The U.S. Marines bought 50 local mixed-breed cows, 44 of which were pregnant, and distributed them to widows and impoverished women throughout the region.

Under Phase Two of the program, which began in February 2009, Land O’Lakes dairy experts provided training in animal husbandry, milk production and collection to the women who received the cows. Improving the care of the cows, the quality and quantity of the milk produced and the collection system has increased the incomes of the women, which has also improved the economic situation of their families.

Phase Three is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2010. Upon successful completion of this phase, the U.S. Marines, Land O'Lakes and the local government will decide whether or not to develop more opportunities like this in other regions.

Prosperity Worldwide, a 501(c)3 organization closely affiliated with Land O’Lakes International Development, is accepting donations for those who would like to contribute to the purchase of more cows for Iraqi women. Visit prosperityworldwide.org for more details.