As a young boy in Mali, Fanto Samake started out his herd with just three cattle. Samake sees the advantages other farmers have who raise cattle, but it doesn’t come without its own set of challenges.
For instance, he can only milk his cows in the rainy season because there isn’t enough grazing pasture for them to produce enough milk during the dry season. In order to maintain his operation, Samake’s biggest challenge is finding a way to increase milk production so he can sell more to the dairy. Click here to view the original video.
- More from the Manitoba Co-operator: Keeping young people on the farm – in Mali
Samake is a contestant in Farmquest, a “radio reality” series sponsored by Farm Radio International, a Canadian organization that works with African radio stations to deliver extension information to farmers. Each of the six contestants submitted a business plan for a farm operation, and each was featured in a series on Radio Fanaka. We’ll feature each over the next few weeks. The winner receives a cash prize to help start his or her new farm venture.
