PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIRST ASIA DAIRY GOAT CONFERENCE

Abstract

The conference was attended by 130 participants from 20 countries and 5 continents. These proceedings contained keynote and plenary addresses and research papers covering various disciplines including nutrition, breeding and genetics, milk and milk products and socio-economics of goat production. The deliberations and the information presented in the proceedings lead to the following conclusions and recommendations: a) there is a huge demand for goat milk in Asian countries, b) the sale price of goat milk is 2 to 4 times higher than that of cow milk in many Asian countries, c) the goat milk processing industry is not well developed in Asia and there is a need to address this issue through public-private partnerships, e) R&D work on goat production has been neglected and there is a need to generate knowledge in the areas of nutrition, health, reproduction and genetic diversity and to collate and disseminate the already available information, f) the extension work and training of goat farmers should be given top priority, g) development of sound and relevant policy options, institution building and linking farmers to markets should be addressed, leading to both increase in goat milk production and processing of goat milk, e) South-South and North-South collaboration should be promoted in areas that lead to increase in goat milk production and processing. The deliberations also stressed the need for an Asia Dairy Goat Network, and we are pleased to report that the Network, with secretariat based in UPM, and having the mission: a) facilitation, generation, collection, dissemination and exchange of knowledge on goat production, b) provision of technical, institutional and policy support to stakeholders involved in goat production and goat milk processing, and c) promotion of improved and sustainable dairy goat farming in Asia will be launched within this year.