The Problem: Dairy productivity in Nepal’s smallholder farming systems remains far below its potential, largely due to the low adoption of improved livestock technologies and practices. Many farmers lack access to practical knowledge, quality inputs, and reliable animal health and breeding services. Meanwhile, livestock extension systems are often fragmented and insufficiently business-oriented. With declining public sector involvement, smallholders increasingly struggle to access timely and affordable services. 

The Solution: The Integrated Technologies and Delivery Hub (iTDH) model is an innovative, locally driven approach to address these challenges. It places trained local resource persons—Village Livestock Promoters (VLPs)—within dairy cooperatives or farmer organizations. VLPs receive training in dairy management, including animal health care, feed and forage management, breeding support, and improved husbandry, along with basic business skills to run sustainable service enterprises. 

Through the iTDH platform, VLPs provide integrated services such as animal health care, input supply, breeding support, and practical dairy management advice. By delivering multiple services from a single hub, the model improves last-mile access for smallholder farmers. 

Key Results/Impacts: Implementation of the iTDH model has shown encouraging results. Milk production has increased by about 1–2 litres per buffalo per day. Infertility rates have dropped by around 90%, indicating improved reproductive performance. VLPs have also developed viable businesses, earning about USD 450 per month, while farmers benefit from affordable and accessible services. 

Scalability and Regional Relevance: The iTDH model has strong potential for scaling across smallholder systems. With local government support—such as training resource persons and providing start-up capital—VLPs can establish iTDH centres as micro-enterprises within cooperatives or as independent service hubs, creating sustainable livestock service delivery systems.