Narrator Since the nineteen fifties
thousands of South Asian leaders have seized the opportunity to further their
knowledge at Australian universities through prestigious Australia awards
scholarships their new knowledge and skills are
improving countless lives in their home countries
Narrator Fresh, simple milk.
Imagine being unable to buy it at your local shops.
Until recently that was the reality for consumers across the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.
There was no shortage of potential suppliers, though, as farmers everywhere, like Gembo
Dorji, had milking cows.
Gembo I cultivated rice, chilli and vegetables as
well as having local cattle.
I collected milk and made butter and cheese.
Narrator In the past, Gembo says, his family was totally
reliant on the success of their annual crops.
When crops failed, though, home-made dairy products became a tenuous lifeline.
Gembo When we needed cash, I would take it to the
roadside and try to sell it to passer-bys.
Narrator Now Gembo makes the trip to the roadside everyday.
He is among the hundreds of farmers organised into small, local cooperatives as part of
a government effort to create a viable diary sector in Bhutan.
Phusunto There wasnít really a central area where
you could get dairy products on a regular basis.
We had the weekend market on Saturday and Sunday and that place was the only place and
the only time where you could get your dairy products.
We just had individual farmers who took their own products into the market and they sold
it to the retailer.
We intended to formalise the dairy sector, and we were able to do that by creating central
locations where the farmers could collect their milk.
Narrator Phuntsho is one of many of Bhutanese to have
won a prestigious Australia Awards scholarship.
Completing his studies in dairy foods at the University of Melbourne positioned him to
lead a government project aimed at helping create a viable dairy sector in Bhutan.
Phusunto The technical knowledge I gained in Australia
has been very beneficial.
I have been able to teach the farmers various aspects of dairy production, starting from
the farm level where we teach them to produce milk in a hygienic manner, as well as at the
collection centres where we teach them how to test the milk in terms of quality.
In terms of product diversification, weíve been able to transfer technology to private
entrepreneurs and dairy farmers groups.
Narrator Gemboís cooperative of eight farmers have
used this technology to start production of the increasingly popular Rama Farm Fresh Yogurt.
They now employ four young people from the village, including Tashi, who now has a vision
for his future.
Tashi Compared to the past it has made a real difference
in my life.
Now I earn a good salary and in the future I want to open a dairy of my own.
Gembo Working as a group means that we all get more
money and we get it monthly, like a salary.
This means we can now save money unlike in the past.
Narrator With this steady flow of income Gembo has
been able to educate some of his children abroad, and they have gone on to become teachers
and the youngest was recently elected to parliament.
Phunsto We have many farmers who deal with cattle
in particular Ö As of now we are largely dependent on imports from India, so hopefully
over the next five to ten years we will be able to change that and achieve a certain
degree of self-sufficiency in dairy production.
Phunsto Being able to utilize the knowledge I gained
in Australia and being able to help these farmers achieve and enhance their incomes
is very rewarding.
Narrator Since the 1960s, numerous Bhutanese industries
have benefited from the Australia Awards, enabling many people to improve their lives.
In the city, trade is brisk for the new dairy shops that are now open
for business.