Straight Talk
Dr. Suresh Rattan
Dr. Suresh Rattan heads the Laboratory of Cellular Ageing, at the
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark. He is the recipient of the Lord Cohen Medal in
Gerontology from the British Society for Research on Ageing, and
an Honorary Doctorate from the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. Dr. Rattan gave the first keynote address on the topic “the
biology of healthy ageing” at the Second International Workshop
on Food and Neurocognitive Diseases organized at SQU. Dr. Rattan speaks more about the biology of ageing and his passion for
science communication and music.
Horizon: Can you give a short definition of ageing in biological
terms? You said that ageing is the state when the repair mechanism
of our body weakens. What is the cause of the weakening?
Dr. Rattan: Biologically, ageing is both a period of life and a
process by which our cells, tissues and organs progressively become weaker in function, tolerance, robustness and resilience. This
change leads to an increased possibility of the emergence of one or
more diseases and eventual death. The cause of this weakening is
the inefficiency of the biochemical maintenance, repair and other
defensive systems, because of the accumulation of molecular damage in the cells.
Horizon: Is ageing in our genes?
Dr. Rattan: Both yes and no. There are no special genes (geron-
togenes) with the sole function of causing ageing and death. Genes
are essential for our survival and genes do determine our ability
to live and to maintain health. Such genes are called longevity assurance genes or vitagenes. These are normal functional genes required for survival, defence, repair, and other functions. We do not
yet know how many genes and what types of their interactions are
required for normal survival and health. Genes determine health,
but not the lifespan of an individual.
Horizon: Does stress shorten our life? In your presentation, you
mentioned that stress of choice can promote health; can you explain?
Dr. Rattan: Uncontrolled, unwanted, continuous, chronic and
severe stress is definitely very harmful for the quality and length
of life. However, repeated mental and physical challenges with
“stress of choice” have health beneficial and life-extending effects.
Exercise is the best example of such stress of choice. Exercise induces little bit of damage and stress, and in return the body tries to
counteract that damage. This phenomenon of mild stress-induced
health benefits is called hormesis, and conditions, such as exercise,
are called hormetins. Sauna, spices in the food, mental challenge,
and once-a-week fasting are some other examples of useful hormetins.
Horizon: Living long and living well: can we do both or are they
the same?
Dr. Rattan: Living well or the quality of life is a matter of several
social, psychological and biological factors. Biologically, the way
our bodies have evolved in nature, it is not really possible to live
long and live well in terms of without becoming weaker, without
having diseases, etc. Evolution has made our bodies only for about
45 to 50 years of reasonably healthy and functional life, but after
that period ageing sets in and almost everything starts becoming
less well. Modern medicine and other technologies can surely help
to keep the body well to a greater extent, and this situation will
become even better in the future. However, for real well-being, we
need to have a strong supportive social life and personal positive
attitudes, even if biologically the body is ageing, weakening and
dying.
Horizon: In addition to your professional research work on the
biology of ageing, you are interested in the public communication
of science. How would you underline the importance of the latter?
Could you summarize what you have learned from experience in
this field?
Dr. Rattan: I think there is a tremendous need of science education and science practice in daily life. It is not just for understanding how different machines work or what medicines can be used,
but science is needed to appreciate the potential and value of human life, the importance of ethical behaviour, the equality of all human beings, the importance of responsibility towards nature and
so on. For me, science and the scientific way of thinking and living are the universal uniters; science does not divide people in this
and that group; science can eliminate hatred, wars and other social
evils happening all around. Science teaches me tolerance, acceptance, and it helps me become free from the narrow, divisive and violent viewpoints and ideologies. That is why I try to communicate
and promote science, especially among children and youngsters.
20 February 2015
“I Like Everything Here!”
Panorama
Launching Cooperatives Can Help Milk Farmers
Mind Over Matter
SQU Starts Japanese Language Course
News Update
Eco-House: Cuts
Costs, Saves Energy
Department of Public
Relations and Information
Sultan Qaboos University
Issue 308
View Point
Giving back to the World
Until a few decade back “community service” was a punishment imposed
on juvenile offenders. In the past, the good students were not exactly jumping out of bed on a Friday morning to serve hot meals at a local shelter or
collect trash at a local park. Today, the scenario has changed a lot. Students
are realizing the importance of community service and more and more and
more students are giving up their leisure time to help out their communities.
Mohamed Salem Al Ghailani
Editorial Supervision
Santhosh Muthalath
Senior Editor
Sara Al Gheilani
Nasebah Al Muharrami
Translation
Ahlam Al Wahaibi
Design & Layout
Photography Dept., CET
Photography
Salim Al Sudairi
Circulation
SQU-info
In some institutions, community service or social service is a compulsory
requirement to complete an academic program. So students accumulate
community service hours as that is required for graduation or scholarships. Some students believe that doing community service gives them an
edge among the college-bound competition. It is good if a university has a
number of students who are not only good in their classes, but also helpful in their communities. Still there are some students who volunteer their
time because they like helping people.
Lack of motivation is one of the biggest problems that students have to face
in universities and schools. Boredom is probably a function of what seems
to many students an unfathomable gap between the curriculum and their
everyday lives. In this context, community service, which itself is a kind
of practical learning process, provides the critical missing link for many
students, an opportunity to apply academic learning to real human needs
and to make the knowledge gained usable in one’s thinking beyond the
situation in which the learning occurred. Service learning, provides students with the motivation necessary to put forth effort in academics, it
gives them more opportunities to integrate and elaborate on their knowledge, and it increases the likelihood of transferring theoretical knowledge
to actual practice.
Apart from psychological benefits such as positive feelings and mental
health, participation in community service projects helps students forge
bonds with each other, as well as other members of the community. These
bonds enhance their interpersonal skills and increase their social network.
Another major benefit of volunteering is the feeling of social connectedness that appears to be waning in our increasingly segmented society.
Participation in community service can give an increased sense of social
responsibility, and a subsequent desire to “give back” to the communities
from which we have come.
@SQU-info
Horizon invites contributions from SQU members of staff and faculty. Contributions in the form of
articles, news, travelogues, stories of unique and interesting experiences, encounters, etc., are welcome. Contributions may be edited for the sake of clarity and length. Please send your contributions
to horizon@squ.edu.om preferably, as MSWord attachments. Authors will be suitably credited.
The views and opinions expressed in the articles published in this newsletter are those of the authors
and are not to be construed as the official views of the publication. Horizon is published three times a
month by the Department of Public Relations and Information, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 50,
P.C. 123, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
Phone: +968 24141045
E-mail: horizon@squ.edu.om
20 February 2015
P2
Fax: +968 24413 391
Website: www.squ.edu.om
Panorama
“I Like Everything Here!”
Jutta Ritcher
Jutta Ritcher, an undergraduate student from Germany, doing her internship in the Marine Sciences and Fisheries Department at SQU.
Miss Ritcher shares her experience in SQU and her impressions about
Oman.
Jutta Ritcher is all praise for Sultan Qaboos University and this beautiful country. Jutta is an undergraduate student from north-western
Germany, doing a Bachelor degree in Maritime Technologies with the
focus on Marine Biotechnology at the Applied University of Bremerhaven. Along with the studies she has to do an internship in a company or a research center. As Jutta is interested in new green Antifouling methods, she chose to join the Biofouling Research Group at
Sultan Qaboos University, headed by Dr. Sergey, Associate Professor
in the Department of Marine Sciences & Fisheries at the College of Agricultural & Marine Sciences. She will continue her studies at SQU for
almost five months, though the duration of the internship as required
by her school is three months.
Jutta Ritcher works mainly at the Marine Sciences Department. Part of
her work is done at the Chair in Nanotechnology at SQU. “I not only
work at the marine science department, but also together with the
Chair in Nanotechnology Prof. Joydeep Dutta and his research team.
My work mainly includes two experiments on the antifouling activity
of zinc oxide nanorod coatings, the first one was a mesocosm experiment in a seawater tank which we just finished. We used glass slides
which we coated with the nanorods and kept in the tank for different
time periods. The second one will be a field experiment in the marina,
using fishing nets as a substrate for the nanorods” she explained.
Jutta will use the results and collected data from the experiments, for
the bachelor thesis which she is writing after her return to Germany.
“It is an interesting work and I’ve already learned a lot during the last
two months. Working with Dr. Sergey and his team is a very good
experience and I’m glad that I’ve made the choice to come to Oman”,
she said.
Jutta came to know about the Antifouling Research Group at SQU,
which focuses on the new green antifouling methods through the Internet. “ I contacted Dr. Sergey through email. He readily agreed with
my request to do my internship at SQU. I already finished with my
exams. What is remaining is the internship and the final thesis. My
university allows students to do their internship in any part of the
world. Considering the convenience, most of the students prefer to
do in some part of Germany. However, I decided to do it in Oman as
I found the right researchers whose work matches with my interest”.
Jutta is very excited about the future field experiments which will be
done in marinas like the Wave Muscat or Bandar Rawda. “The experiment involves putting fishing nets with zinc oxide nanorod coatings
in seawater for four to five weeks and taking them out for lab investigations to measure the effectiveness of the coatings in antifouling. The
antifouling technology is mostly developed in SQU. It is some photo
catalytic process that prevents settlement of microorganisms on the
coated surfaces”, she said.
In her opinion SQU is a great place to stay. “I’ve met many nice and
friendly people here. From the beginning itself, everybody was very
helpful and I’m really enjoying my stay. It is very interesting to learn
about the culture of this country which is so different from the European one”. According to Jutta, Oman is a lovely place to live. “ SQU
gives you the freedom to work and explore new things. I live on campus in one of the female student hostels. Every person I meet here is
so friendly and helpful. I am quite happy about the facilities and food
offered at the residence complex”.
During her stay in Oman for the last three months, Jutta explored
many places in Oman including the Sharqiya Sands, Wadi Shab, and
Wadi Bani Khalid, Al Rustaq, Nakhal, Nizwa, to name a few. “When
I came to Oman in October, the mercury levels were a bit high. Now,
the weather is really nice. I enjoy it. In a nutshell, I like everything in
Oman. This is what I can say from my experience in this country. I
wish to come to Oman again. If I do my Masters in Germany or elsewhere, I would like to come to Oman again for practical work and
field experiments”, Jutta Ritcher concluded.
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20 February 2015
News Round Up
Course Sheds Light on
Lipid Metabolism
Researchers Coedit
Reputed Journal
The International Atherosclerosis Society (IAS) and the Oman Society of
Lipid and Atherosclerosis (OSLA), jointly organized a three day course
on “Lipid Metabolism and Cardiovascular Risk” recently. The course held
from 8 to 10 February, was co-chaired by Prof. Philip Barter (Australia),
President of the International Atherosclerosis Society and Dr. Khalid AlRasadi (Oman), President of the Oman Society of Lipid and Atherosclerosis.
Three academics from the Department of Soils, Water and Agricultural
Engineering of the College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University, jointly edited issue 1054 of the Acta Horticulturae Journal, a prestigious international journal publishing research
papers in different fields related to agriculture including agricultural
and biosystems engineering. This volume was edited by Dr. Yaseen
Al-Mulla, Dr. Mushtaque Ahmed and Dr. Hemanatha Jayasuriya from
SQU. Acta Horticulturae is a Scopus-indexed outlet, categorized as of
B-level in the journal ranking of the Australian Research Council.
According to Prof. Barter, this meeting addressed one of the most important public health issues of the 21st century. “We should not forget that
lipid disorders, such as high cholesterol and triglycerides to mention the
most common ones, are major risk factors for cerebrovascular diseases
that we know to be linked to the growing epidemics of obesity and diabetes worldwide and especially in the MENA region countries. Prevention
of these diseases to be implemented thorough a healthier life style and,
when needed, a better adherence to lipid lowering treatment is one of
the goals national health systems have to reach in order to have healthier
populations.”
This unique three-day residential course increased the knowledge and experience of 31 early-to mid-career English-speaking practicing clinicians
from 13 different countries in the MENA region interested in the management of lipid disorders through active and vibrant interaction with top
level faculty of some of the most renown leaders worldwide. The Oman
Society of Lipid and Atherosclerosis (OSLA) is a learned non-profit society
that was instituted in February 2012 by an assemblage of basic scientists
and clinicians at the Sultan Qaboos University in Oman and the Ministry
of Health under the umbrella of the Oman Medical Association.
Volume 1054 of the Acta Horticulturae Journal includes 42 refereed papers out of 136 papers of those accepted in the International Conference
on Agricultural Engineering “New Technologies for Sustainable Agricultural Production and Food Security” which SQU organized during 24-26 February, 2013. This is the first time ever that SQU name and
logo appears as the contributor and editor of this a more than 50 years
old, well and globally known periodical that will definitely contribute
to SQU international ranking and reputation. Papers in this volume
cover a broad spectrum of topics in land and water engineering, arid
zone precision agriculture, Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology, Controlled Environment Agriculture among others. The authors of
the volume represent leading universities and engineering institutions
from 19 countries.
Dr. Yaseen Al-Mulla presented a copy of the volume of Acta Horticulturae Journal, which was generated by SQU, to Professor Amer Al-Rawas
SQU Deputy Vice Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies & Research.
Prof. Amer Al-Rawas strongly supported the conference and publications.
Workshop Addresses Risk Assessment in Wastewater Recycling
of wastewater generated in Oman and treatment and recycling processes.
“Wastewater is generated from households, industrial operations, oil production, hospitals. However, there is a single guideline in the form of a ministerial decision with regard to treatment and recycling of wastewater in the
Sultanate. The workshop will examine if a single guideline is adequate to
make decision on waste water reuse different uses at various locations”, he
said. Dr. Osman Abdullah, Director of Water Research Centre at SQU, spoke
about the role of the Centre in coordinating water scientists, policy makers
and business firms functioning in this area. He also stressed on the importance of understanding challenges and opportunities related to water management in the Sultanate.
A three day workshop, organized by the Water Research Centre at Sultan Qaboos University in association with Oman Water Society, addressed the guidelines and risk assessment associated with recycling
of treated wastewater in Oman. The opening ceremony of the workshop was held under the patronage of Prof. Amer bin Ali Al Rawas,
SQU Deputy Vice Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies & Research.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Mushtaque Ahmed, Associate Professor in the Department of Soils, Water and Agricultural Engineering at
SQU, gave an overview of the objectives of the workshop and types
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Dr. Simon Toze from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organization (CSIRO), Australia, spoke about the importance of having
proper guidelines for Water recycling in Oman. He explained the Australian
guidelines which covers human health from pathogens and chemicals and
environment. “Formulation of adequate guidelines in Oman should be based
on the needs and requirements of the country. The goal is to minimize the
risks to an acceptable level”, he said.
Dr. Declan Page from CSIRO, spoke about managing health and environmental risks associated with use of treated waste water.
News Update
SQU Starts Japanese
Language Course
Japanese language course, has been launched at the College of Arts &
Social Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University as university elective course.
The formal launching of the Japanese language course was held recently
in the presence of H.E. Dr. Ali bin Saud Al Bimani, the Vice Chancellor
of SQU, and H.E. H.E. George Hisaeda, Ambassador of Japan to the Sultanate. The course will be offered in two sections, two contact hours per
week. Each section will have 25 to 30 students.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Al Bimani said that Omanis are good at
learning languages and many of them speak more than one language. “I
hope that students will show enthusiasm to learn Japanese language at
the university. This will also help to enhance the strong ties between the
Sultanate and Japan”, he said.
H.E. George Hisaeda, the Ambassador thanked everyone who was involved in bringing in the Japanese language course at SQU. “For me, it
is a dream come true. Learning a foreign language is an important step
in getting to know each other. Introduction of Japanese language at the
national university of Oman is important for both countries and I hope
it will help to deepen the mutual understanding between the people of
both the countries”, the Ambassador said. The Ambassador assured continued support from the Embassy of Japan, to the newly introduced Japanese course at SQU.
Dr. Abdullah Khamis Al Kindi, Dean of the College of Arts & Social Sciences, said that the college is adding the fifth foreign language to the students, after German, French, Persian and Italian. “Japanese language is
gaining great importance today because of the production of significant
knowledge and research output in this language. Learning this language
will give our students the opportunity to understand more about the Japanese civilizational and cultural values, particularly those of tolerance,
dialogue and loyalty”, he said. The Dean added that the college would
continue the efforts to bring more languages for SQU students in future.
“Now the Japanese language has been introduced as an elective course.
In future it can be upgraded as a core course”, he said.
Italian Books
Gifted to SQU
On behalf of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International
Cooperation, HE Paola Amadei, the Ambassador of Italy to the Sultanate of Oman, handed over a set of Italian books to Sultan Qaboos
University recently. HH Sayyidah Dr. Mona bint Fahad Al Said, SQU
Assistant Vice Chancellor for International Cooperation, received the
books from the Ambassador. This initiative is linked to the introduction
of the Italian language course launched in last October at SQU that is
seeing the participation of many committed Omani students. The books
included Italian classics, basic grammar books and workbooks for beginners in addition to audio CDs.
Commenting on delivery of books to SQU, HE Paola Amadei said that
Italian is one of the most studied and most spoken languages in the
world because of the presence of Italian communities in those countries. “Many of the terms of music, art, design, are from the Italian language. The demand for Italian is growing, due to the love for the most
distinctive aspects of the Italian culture: from music to visual arts, from
architecture to the Italian style and the “Made in Italy”, or simply because it is a beautiful, melodious language”, the Ambassador said. HE
Paola Amadei further said that after the launch of the Italian language
course at the SQU, a number of new initiatives are on the way to promote this language in the Sultanate of Oman. “There are more and more
Omanis who speak Italian or who would like to learn it. More and more
delegations from eminent Italian universities show interest in the Sultanate of Oman”.
“The launch of the Italian course and the creation of an Italian literary
and language section within SQU library is an excellent outcome of the
strong cooperation between the Italian Embassy and the university. We
strongly hope that the cooperation with SQU will continue. Works are
always underway to finalize new agreements aimed to enhance academic exchanges and cooperation between Italian and Omani Universities and, of course, the study of the Italian language in Oman and
Arabic in Italy”, HE Paola Amadei said.
University of Southampton, SQU to Explore Ties
search and Head of the Centre for Innovation and Leadership
in Health Sciences, visited Sultan Qaboos University recently
and explored the possibilities of partnership with the College
of Medicine & Health Sciences at SQU.
A delegation from the University of Southampton Health Sciences Faculty, headed by Prof. Jonathan Drennan, Professor of Healthcare Re-
The delegation was received by Dr. Shahid Al Balushi, Expert,
on behalf of the International Cooperation Office at the University Council meeting room. This was followed a meeting
with Prof. Omar Al Rawas, Dean of the College of Medicine
& Health Sciences at the college. The two sides reviewed the
possibilities of partnership in medical education and research
through exchange of medical students and researchers and
collaborative research.
P3
20 February 2015
Insight
Eco-House: Cuts Costs, Saves Energy
Oman Eco-House at Sultan Qaboos University, an eco-friendly
house that is suitable for Oman’s environment, is all set to showcase environmentally friendly technology that can attract people
interested in reducing their bills and saving energy around their
home. The SQU Eco-house, which is nearing completion on campus, is using many latest sustainable technologies that actually
work. The Eco-house at SQU is the outcome of a national competition organized and funded by The Research Council. The research
and design was of the building was performed by students and
faculty from Architectural, Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineering departments with the support of Projects Department of
SQU during construction.
Design Philosophy
The Eco-house is built according to the architectural design that
combines the aesthetic values of contemporary Omani architectural typology deeply rooted in the cultural context, and centuries
of traditional architectural experience. It addresses changes in
living habits, and foresees future constrains of sustainability. The
design features the solidity of the mass, small openings, traditional color palette of natural earth tone with modifications required
by Muscat Municipality regulations. It also utilizes the features
of long vertical windows with lower inlets for cool air and upper outlets for expelling warm air, and the regular rhythm surrounding of colonnades. The dynamic design effect of outer shell
is seen in its wrapping round in a visual shading effect on the main
building proper. Social habits are clearly manifested by separating male from female living patterns. Guest entrance is brought
forward and emphasized in scale for social prestige and leads to
guest room (Majlis) which is separated from other zones. Family entrance on the other is recessed back to South courtyard and
leads to family central living room.
Innovative Design Features
The e-design combines the traditional courtyard and traditional
air scope by creating an H-form with north and south courtyards
in direct contact with central family living room, enhancing the
inter­action between the indoor and the outdoor environments. The
double-volume family room is a central hub connecting all rooms
and acting as a main natural ventilation element that draws air
currents from them. It achieves visual illusion of interior spaciousness by having flexible opening to guest room (Majlis). Doubleshell system concept was introduced by a light shell wrapping
around and providing full shade of all house surfaces. It intercept
and dissipate most of the solar heat impact before it reaches the
building. The walls are fully shaded by a shell of lattice of date
palm branches, horizontal and vertical canvas strips, and climber
20 February 2015
P4
plant trellises. The roof is fully shaded by floating shell of photo
voltaic panels flanked by lattice of wood panels .
The building is equipped with a Solar photo voltaic system supply power of 20 KW through 80 modules which are tilted at 23.5
for maximum benefit from solar radiation. The rated power for
each module is 250 watts, and every 20 modules are connected
in series. Inverter is used to convert DC to AC power compatible
to local grid. During the day some of the collected power is consumed in the house, and the surplus is exported to the grid, while
in the evening it is imported from the grid. The natural ventilation
alone provides thermal comfort for four months of the year. Thermal and pressure differential by locating lower opening to inlet
cool breeze, and upper opening expel hot air outlets. Double volume height of family room increases length of thermal stack and
enhances thermal pressure. Wind pressure differential by locating
windows that respond to day and night variations in Muscat prevailing wind and sea breeze from.
Sustainable Landscape is a sub-project of joint venture with students and faculty of the College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences and engineers from Oman Botanical Garden. It is designed
to improve site microclimatic and the thermal performance of the
eco-house by providing shading, controlling and cooling wind
currents. It responses to constrains of local environment using:
fast growing, low water requirements, water salinity, drought and
heat tolerance, and low root invasiveness. Geometry of trees was
classified into cylindrical, spherical, and umbrella types, and those
geometrical features employed in the environmental design.
Future Plans
The Eco-house will soon be open to public as a permanent exhibition and information center and to address local authorities and
building profession through lectures, seminars, workshops, and
website outlet. Study will be conducted on new occupancy patterns that coexist with the passive design features of the house.
Short-term monitoring and testing of the present innovative passive design features of the house , will be followed by a long term
plan of further research on further innovation features. Future
plans also include expanding the scope of present multidisciplinary team of faculty and students of the College of Engineering
to be a catalyzer of other specializations from other colleges on
a wider range on sustainability research. The Eco-house will be
a hub of co-operation with researchers and professionals at local and international levels for the exchange of knowledge and
joint research activates on the issues of building sustainability and
green architecture.
Mind Over Matter
Launching Cooperatives Can Help
Milk Farmers
Dairy production in Oman is concentrated in Sohar and Salalah.
Recent statistics shows that Oman reached 44.7 % self-sufficiency in
dairy products in 2010. A study conducted by researchers from the
Department of Natural Resources Economics of the College of Agricultural & Marine Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University, in 2011
to assess the efficiency of dairy farms in Oman found that Oman
has a potential to increase milk production to sufficiency levels if
the problems facing small-scale dairy producers are addressed. According to the study, the major problems faced by farmers include
lack of market for selling milk; low productivity of dairy cows; lack
of artificial insemination (AI) to upgrade the indigenous low milk
yielding breeds; and, lack of awareness and knowledge by smallscale dairy farmers on the improved dairy husbandry systems and
techniques. Majority of the small scale farmers produce 2 to 4 liters
per day, as a result, individually it is very difficult to find a reliable
market.
To streamline marketing of milk, small scale dairy farmers in Oman
support formation of small-scale dairy producer cooperatives. If
possible with government support to acquire the necessary infrastructure such as trucks and a milk processing plant that will enable dairy farmers to collect milk from members, process, package
and market the milk directly as one entity.
Building on the 2011 efficiency study results, a new research investigating the possibility to form small-scale dairy farmers cooperative in Oman is currently in progress in Salalah and Sohar area.
Dr. Msafiri Mbaga from SQU, who the principal investigator of the
research, said that preliminary results based on survey data collected from farmers in Dhofar region indicates overwhelmingly that
dairy farmers support the formation of small-scale dairy producer
cooperatives (SSDPC). Formation of such cooperatives will significantly shorten the marketing channel and benefit both producers
and consumers.
Cooperatives will improve the bargaining power of farmers because they have both forward and backward linkages. Through
backward linkages, cooperatives can procure inputs in bulk and
benefit members from price discount. In addition, SSDPC can pool
and market milk as one entity and, as a result, improves the income of the members. Cooperatives have the potential to create
more jobs for the community through the various economic activi-
ties that will be created. Also they will provide more services to
members such as Artificial Insemination (AI) and high yielding
cows”, Dr. Mbaga said.
Dr. Mbaga further said that cooperative members invest in shares
in the business to provide capital for a strong and efficient operation. “All net savings left after bills are paid and money is set aside
for operations and improvements are returned to co-op members.
Cooperatives therefore empower the people”.
Examples of cooperatives in the world
In the US over 100 million people are members of 47,000 cooperatives. Dairy cooperatives represented 13 percent of all agricultural
marketing cooperatives in the United States in 2002. The volume of
milk handled by cooperatives was 144 billion pounds in 2002. The
share of all milk delivered to plants and dealers in the United States
by cooperatives was 86 percent in 2002.
In France the leading dairy coop is LAÏTA. LAÏTA was founded as
a result of the rise in partnerships established since 1973 between
three founding members: Even, Terrena and Triskalia. LAÏTA has a
membership of 4,000 milk producers and collects 1.3 billion litres of
milk annually. LAÏTA payroll is comprised of 2400 employees and
currently has a turnover of 1.12 billion euros.
In India there is AMUL (or Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing
Federation Ltd (GCMMF) based in Anand, Gujarat. AMUL is India’s largest food product marketing organization with annual
turnover (2013-14) US$ 3.0 billion.. Its daily milk procurement is
approximately 13.18 million lit per day from 17,025 village milk
cooperative societies, 17 member unions covering 31 districts, and
3.23 million milk producer members. AMUL has entered overseas
markets such as Mauritius, UAE, USA, Bangladesh, Australia, China, Singapore, Hong Kong , Oman and a few South African countries
The advantages of cooperatives include elimination of middlemen;
saving in management expenses; economy in distribution and production expenditure; employment opportunities; equal distribution of wealth; financial services to members; and improvement of
standard of living.
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20 February 2015