Parag Milk Foods, which owns Bhagyalakshmi Dairy Farm in Manchar – India’s largest private dairy farm – will send four of its dairy trainers to South Australia later this year to receive a mix of classroom and hands-on training from TAFE SA lecturers.
The trainers will learn about nutrition, housing and calf rearing, among other dairy topics at TAFE SA campuses in Adelaide and in the state’s South East region, which has a long history of producing premium dairy products for Australian and global markets.
TAFE SA is South Australia’s largest vocational education and training provider and one of the largest in Australia.
The Indian dairy trainers will be certified to train dairy farmers at Bhagayalakshmi back in Western India.
TAFE SA Director of Primary Industries, Animal and Laboratory Sciences Ann Beacham said TAFE SA had extensive experience in providing primary production, animal welfare and livestock management training both nationally and internationally.
“TAFE SA’s dairy and agriculture lecturers have many years’ of experience in industry as well as established support networks of industry specialists,” Beacham said.
India is the world’s largest producer and consumer of milk and dairy products.
TAFE SA staff visited Parag Milk Foods and the Bhagyalakshmi Dairy Farm in April 2016 to undertake a scoping visit ahead of the partnership.
In addition, they attended the Global Rajasthan Agricultural Meet in November 2016 – at the invitation of the Rajasthan Government – to gain a greater understanding of the industry.