For the past 10 years, one of SHARE's main project efforts has been providing funds to establish small dairy herds in Belize and El Salvador. Over that time, SHARE has been very successful with the project, where all but one group has maintained itself, following the project implementation by SHARE. In that one case, the animals were moved to another group in El Salvador.
A community that benefits through a SHARE funded project must agree to the pass on principle. For example, if a farmer receives livestock, then the first female offspring will be passed on to another farmer.
Currently, SHARE has 22 cattle projects, 9 in Belize and 13 in El Salvador. These projects are initiated when farmers in a village come forward with a proposal. SHARE accepts proposals from communities, rather than from individual farmers. In this way, the group makes decisions on farming practices and the individual farmers involved in the cooperative benefit.
In a cattle project, usually 10-12 farmers join in the project. Their families directly benefit, and many others in the village indirectly benefit by being able to buy fresh milk and cheese. Presently, four groups have progressed to sell excess milk on a regular basis to local dairies. The remaining groups consume or sell the milk and cheese produced for their own families or within the immediate village. All groups benefit greatly from calf sales. Steers are sold for meat and heifers for breeding purposes. This has proven to be very significant: the sale of even one or two animals a year can increase the annual family income by as much as 40 per cent in Belize and more than 50 percent in El Salvador.
The dairy cattle are obtained locally, and are well adapted to the area climate. The primary breed is a Brahma cross, a dual purpose animal, blending both milk and meat quality. The groups selling milk on a regular basis are usually closer to a processing plant or a larger village. Groups with market access tend toward higher milk production, while other projects concentrate on providing enough milk for their families and benefit more through the sale of offspring. In general the groups have a tendency to maintain about 20 animals. SHARE often provides fencing for the animals, and helps dig ponds for water.