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Success Story
USAID volunteers
inform Belarusian
farmers about veterinary
techniques
USAID Assistance Boosts Belarusian Farm
Photo: CNFA\Yuri Seleznev
USAID volunteer Dan Haskins (left)
palpates a cow while a few of the
Dzerzhinsk farm veterinarians look on.
Hundreds of cows that had
previously not shown any
signs of fertility have now
been inseminated thanks to
expert advice from USAID
volunteers.
Dzerzhinsk Farm in Belarus employs more than 550 workers
and is the largest force in the Minsk oblast’s economy. The farm
serves as a good model for future market-oriented agricultural
enterprises in Belarus. Unfortunately, the farm’s veterinarians
have faced challenges in the area of artificial insemination and
dairy health management.
In August 2009, as part of its Farmer-to-Farmer program,
USAID sent two volunteers, Dan Haskins and Rick McGuire, to
provide technical assistance to the Dzerzhinsk farm. Over the
course of their two-week assignment in Belarus, the Americans
worked closely with a variety of individuals on the farm, including
Konstantin Dubrovsky, a veterinarian-gynecologist, and Nikolay
Afanasevich, a farm manager.
Through this exchange, the Belarusians were able to further
develop their skills and knowledge in the areas of fertility
detection, insemination techniques, record-keeping, and
reproduction goals and benchmarks. The exchange also led to
the identifi cation of six areas of concern and the development of
a herd health program.
Dubrovsky views the exchange as very beneficial. He believes
the volunteers greatly helped the Dzerhinsk veterinarians reduce
costs by sharing knowledge about the use of various medicines
and different techniques.
Since the USAID volunteers departed, hundreds of cows that
had previously not shown any signs of fertility have been
inseminated. The veterinarians hope they will all become
pregnant and deliver calves. This would increase the number of
cattle and their production of milk for the region.
The Belarusian experts have noticed the benefits of the
exchange with their American counterparts. The experience
contributed to their understanding of artificial insemination
practices and identification of breeding problems. The knowledge
gained will help them in leading a more successful business and
providing better services to their countrymen.
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