Connecting farmers with consumers

Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU) researchers have developed a distribution model of pure cow-milk that would benefit both consumers and dairy farmers.

The pilot project started with limited scope in the port city on April 3, said sources in CVASU, adding that a consumer has to install the app "Smart Goala" and then place the order through it.

Initially, consumers from Khulshi, Nasirabad, GEC and Sholashahar areas in the city can avail of the service, said sources.

"The research was initiated in 2018 aiming to improve farmer-customer network and ensuring a mutually beneficial outcome -- consumers get pure raw milk and farmers get a good price, said Prof Dr Goutam Buddha Das, vice-chancellor of CVASU.

Contacted, the principal investigator of the study and assistant professor at Agribusiness and Marketing Department of CVASU, Mokaddes Ahmed Dipu said, "We've conducted the study on the peri-urban smallholder dairy farmers initially. Then we developed a distribution model which connects the farmers directly with the urban consumers."

"For this purpose, we initiated a platform called 'Smart Goala', ensuring the distribution of the freshest milk from smallholder farmers to customers," he said.

Asked, how will they ensure the purity of the milk, Mokaddes said they test the milk on a regular basis in the CVASU's laboratory.

Mokaddes said that a litre of cow-milk costs Tk 90.

Asked about why the price is set higher than the market value, he said, "We aim to ensure the purity of the milk and make sure that farmers get a fair price, which incentivises them to maintain hygiene properly."

"We also train farmers on maintaining hygiene and taking care of the cattle properly," he said.