MILK PRODUCTION AND VIABILITY OF THE VARIOUS SMALLHOLDER DAIRYING MODELS USED IN ZIMBABWE
Dublin Core
Title
MILK PRODUCTION AND VIABILITY OF THE VARIOUS SMALLHOLDER DAIRYING MODELS USED IN ZIMBABWE
Creator
TAKUDZWA MAFIGU
BLESSED MASUNDA
VENANCIO EDWARD IMBAYARWO-CHIKOSI
DAVID TINOTENDA MBIRIRI
PRIDE HODZI
Description
An evaluation of milk yield, dairy products and viability of the smallholder dairy production models used in Zimbabwe
was carried out. We used secondary data on 1167 smallholder dairy farmers. These were categorised into commercial
dairying (119), Milk collection centre (MCC) bulking and processing (145), MCC bulking and delivering to processor
(87), farm gate (468) and other (348) models. Data were analysed using SPSS version 25.0. The average daily milk yield
per cows was highest in the Commercial dairying model (9.20 ± 0.4 l) but was not significantly different from the MCC
bulking and processing and MCC bulking and delivering to processor models. Average lactation milk yield per cow was
highest (P < 0.05) in the commercial dairying model (2804.91 ± 133.9 l) and was significantly different from the rest of
the models. The processed milk products identified in the study were fermented milk, pasteurised milk and unspecified
products but production volumes were very low in the respective models. There were no differences (P > 0.05) in gross
margin across all the smallholder dairying models. The commercial dairying model surpassed all models on proportion
of pure exotic dairy breeds, number of milking cows, milk yield. However, it was discovered that all models were under-
performing but smallholder dairy farmers can be recommended to adopt the commercial dairying model if measures to
improve milk yield per cow and reduce milk production costs are established.
was carried out. We used secondary data on 1167 smallholder dairy farmers. These were categorised into commercial
dairying (119), Milk collection centre (MCC) bulking and processing (145), MCC bulking and delivering to processor
(87), farm gate (468) and other (348) models. Data were analysed using SPSS version 25.0. The average daily milk yield
per cows was highest in the Commercial dairying model (9.20 ± 0.4 l) but was not significantly different from the MCC
bulking and processing and MCC bulking and delivering to processor models. Average lactation milk yield per cow was
highest (P < 0.05) in the commercial dairying model (2804.91 ± 133.9 l) and was significantly different from the rest of
the models. The processed milk products identified in the study were fermented milk, pasteurised milk and unspecified
products but production volumes were very low in the respective models. There were no differences (P > 0.05) in gross
margin across all the smallholder dairying models. The commercial dairying model surpassed all models on proportion
of pure exotic dairy breeds, number of milking cows, milk yield. However, it was discovered that all models were under-
performing but smallholder dairy farmers can be recommended to adopt the commercial dairying model if measures to
improve milk yield per cow and reduce milk production costs are established.
Publisher
Tropical Animal Health and Production
Date
2024)
Files
Collection
Citation
TAKUDZWA MAFIGU
et al., “MILK PRODUCTION AND VIABILITY OF THE VARIOUS SMALLHOLDER DAIRYING MODELS USED IN ZIMBABWE,” ZOU Institutional Repository, accessed July 6, 2025, https://ir.zou.ac.zw/items/show/422.
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