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PERCEIVED CHALLENGES IN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OF SMALLHOLDER DAIRY FARMERS IN THREE MALAWIAN REGIONS
Baur, I; Chiumia, D; Gazzarin, C & Lips, M
Abstract
Dairy farmers face various challenges in developing their businesses. The current
literature identifies several constraints towards a more efficient dairy sector that relate
mostly to on-farm management practices. The available studies analyze constraints
mostly from the objective viewpoint of the researcher, whereas very little is known about
what farmers themselves perceive to be challenging. To better understand the farmers’
perspective and what they perceive to be challenging, and how these challenges differ
across regions, this paper builds on a survey of 529 dairy farmers in Malawi. In the
survey, respondents were asked in an open question to name their three main challenges.
Based on the responses, a three-level coding scheme was elaborated. Data were then
coded by two researchers to ensure reliability of coding. Codes were then used to
calculate relative frequencies for the different challenges and to perform chi-square tests
to check for regional differences in frequencies. Results suggest that farmers perceive
low milk price and milk yield, animal health, availability of feedstock, and the costs for
drugs as the main challenges. The analysis also revealed that the challenges vary strongly
between the three main regions in the country – Blantyre (south), Lilongwe (central), and
Mzuzu (north). The perceived challenges reflect the different production systems in the
regions. In Blantyre, dairy farming is low in intensity, and farmers thus perceive inputs,
in particular the availability of fodder, as well as outputs, in particular milk yields more
frequently as a challenge than farmers in Lilongwe and Mzuzu. In contrast, dairy farming
in Lilongwe is the most intense. Accordingly, farmers in Lilongwe perceive costs, in
particular for inputs such as mash and concentrates as major constraints. Farmers in
Mzuzu, which is a rather remote region, consider a lack of assistance, in particular
concerning extension services significantly more challenging than the farmers in the
other two regions do. Considering these insights, development work and extensions
services may be able to increase outcomes in the dairy sector by targeting the regional
challenges.
Keywords
Challenges; dairy production; smallholders; Malawi; qualitative study; regions
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