Smallholder Dairy Research Articles

Household characteristics, production and quality of bovine milk from crossbred dairy stock in the rural dairy production system of Ethiopia

Limited evidence exists on the rural/mixed crop-dairy production system given its contribution to the milk supply and strong spatial heterogeneity in dairy milk productivity and other production outcomes. A study was conducted to assess the production and composition of milk from crossbred dairy cows on smallholder farms in Ethiopia. A total of 198 households were surveyed in face-to-face interviews, and 80 milk samples were taken for laboratory analysis. The results revealed that the daily milk yields of Indigenous X Holstein-Friesians (IHF) and Indigenous X Jerseys (IJ) were 6.77 ± 1.09 and 6.39 ± 1.05 liters, respectively. The overall lactation lengths of IHF and IJ were 9.53 ± 1.24 and 9.25 ± 1.15 months. The daily milk yield and lactation length were significantly different (p < 0.05) between highland and mid-altitude agro-ecologies. Milk samples collected from IJ had 3.98 ± 0.89 fat, 6.78 ± 0.87 Solid-Not-Fat (SNF), 4.14 ± 0.47 lactose, 0.56 ± 0.07 Salts, and 2.66 ± 0.31 protein. Milk compositions of IHF were 3.13 + 0.96 fat, 7.42 ± 0.74SNF, 3.96 + 0.0.52 lactose, 0.61 ± 0.08 salts, and 2.76 ± 0.35 protein. All chemical components showed significant differences (P < 0.01) across agroecology and breed except for protein and lactose. Feed shortage is the major dairy constraint, followed by water shortage, the prevalence of disease, and access to veterinary, extension, and credit services. The constraints prevailing in the studied district need to be alleviated through an integrated approach to take advantage of the existing dairy opportunity of high milk demand. • Factors limiting production help to describe technological and investment needs. • Integrated approach to alleviate multiple problems in smallholder dairying. • Women played a major role in dairy production.

Genetic survey in smallholder dairy production system of Southern province of Zambia.

Milk production among the smallholder dairy farmers in Zambia is reported to be low despite improvements in milk collection infrastructure and unmet demand by the populace. This study was conducted to characterize cattle breeds and the breeding strategies of the smallholder dairy production system in the Southern province of Zambia. The study was conducted using questionnaires to obtain responses from identified respondents in six districts considered the main dairy cattle producing areas. One hundred and twenty questionnaires were administered and available for descriptive statistical analysis. The cattle genetic groups included local (Tonga and Angoni) breeds and their crosses (40.0%); beef (Boran and Brahman) breeds and their crosses (23.3%); Friesian breed and its crosses (28.8%); Jersey breed and its crosses (4.9%); and Fleckvieh breed (3.0%). Calving rate was found to be to be between 36% and 50% for the dairy herds. Compared to the other genetic groups, it was noted that Friesian and its crosses had higher milk production (3.55 L vs. 1.4L). The low milk yield reported could be attributed to the period of study, which coincided with the long dry season between April and October. The Friesian and its crosses recorded earlier age at first calving (2.65 vs. 2.8 years), shorter longevity (10.5 vs. 12.25 years), and shorter lactation length (7.5 vs. 9.25 months). Jersey and its crosses, on the other hand, had an above average performance for all indices of economic importance such as milk production, lactation length, age at first calving, longevity, and number of calves produced. The results indicated natural mating was practised by 85% of the farmers. Farmer-preferred traits include size and conformation (23%); performance and colour (16% and 15%, respectively) in the choice of a bull. Selection by farmers were thus based on simple observation without pedigree or performance-based genetic evaluation. It was apparent that the smallholder dairy production system is in a shifting trend to transform the mainly local and beef breed animals into dairy herds through crossing with exotic dairy breeds. The production system is, however, faced with the challenges of water and feed supply to meet nutritional requirements, and high disease burden. Jersey breed was found to be a logical choice for the resource poor smallholder dairy farmers. The development and management of the smallholder dairy breeding schemes should be all-inclusive and directed at the prevalent production systems with the aim of also improving the feeding and management practices.

Understanding heterogeneity in technology adoption among Indonesian smallholder dairy farmers

AbstractThis study aims to understand and profile smallholder farmers' technology adoption status. We collected cross‐sectional data from 600 smallholder dairy farming households in West Java, Indonesia. A Latent class cluster analysis identified two unique clusters of smallholder dairy farmers based on patterns in their adoption status of multiple dairy farming technologies. Cluster 1 (Low awareness/low adoption) had significantly lower awareness of all technologies, and among the “aware” farmers, technology adoption rates were also significantly lower compared to Cluster 2 (High awareness/high adoption). The Low awareness/low adoption cluster was older, had less formal education, managed fewer dairy cows, had less productive and less profitable dairy enterprises, lived further away from their cooperative and farmer group leader, and had fewer contacts with dairy extension staff. Farmers' responses to questions regarding reasons underpinning nonadoption decisions suggest that farmers face multilayered and heterogenous constraints to adopting dairy technologies. This insight can assist government, policymakers, and development professionals in designing technology dissemination programs that meet the unique characteristics of subgroups of farmers, ultimately improving the adoption of technologies. [EconLit Citations: Q12, Q16].

Assessing energy sources for powering “evakuula”

Technologies that are appropriate, affordable, and sustainable are needed to increase incomes and resilience among sub-Saharan African smallholder farmers. A combination of thermization and low-cost evaporative cooling, termed Evakuuling, was developed to enable rural smallholder dairy farmers to preserve their evening milk in the absence of grid-electricity. The “EvaKuula” was configured to be powered by biogas. Biogas is used for the thermization process of the system. The evaporative cooling component is powered by wind. Use of biogas from domestic biogas plants add circularity value to smallholder farms. However, domestic biogas plant set-ups are relatively high capital investments and as such, a financial barrier to co-adoption with the EvaKuula. To lower this barrier, other energy sources have been considered. The purpose of this study was to assess alternative energy sources to power the thermization component of the EvaKuula. The list of energy sources considered included biogas, butane, kerosene, charcoal, and firewood. These energy sources were assessed with respect to the sum of the social and market costs. The product of a unit of fuel cost and the units consumed represented the “market cost.” The product of the long-term social carbon cost and total carbon dioxide emission equivalence represented the “social cost.” Regular and improved stoves were included in the charcoal and firewood analysis. As expected, biogas ranked on top of the list, followed by butane and kerosene. However, butane and kerosene are not easily accessible in rural setting. Approximated 76% of farmers in rural sub-Saharan Africa rely on firewood to meet domestic needs like cooking. Butane and kerosene are the fuel sources predominantly used in urban and peri-urban areas, due to accessibility and affordability. Incomes are typically higher among urban dwellers. Therefore, with butane and kerosene not readily available to the target EvaKuula users, the next best option was firewood, provided it is combusted in improved efficient stoves such as Lorena type. Key words: alternative energy, evaporative cooling, sustainable development, food security, circularity, smallholder farmers

Green fodder cultivation improves technical efficiency of dairy farmers in semi-arid tropics of central India: a micro-analysis.

This study assessed the impact of improved green fodder production activities on technical efficiency (TE) of dairy farmers in climate vulnerable landscapes of central India. We estimated stochastic production frontiers, considering potential self-selection bias stemming from both observable and unobservable factors in adoption of fodder interventions at farm level. The empirical results show that TE for treated group ranges from 0.55 to 0.59 and that for control ranges from 0.41 to 0.48, depending on how biases are controlled. Additionally, the efficiency levels of both adopters and non-adopters would be underestimated if the selectivity bias is not appropriately accounted. As the average TE is consistently higher for adopter farmers than the control group, promoting improved fodder cultivation would increase input use efficiency, especially in resource-deprived small holder dairy farmers in the semi-arid tropics.

Predisposing risk factors to milk quality and safety in smallholder dairy enterprises in Kenya

The unhygienic milk handling practices along the value chain predispose it to microbial and chemical contamination. This study aimed to investigate the on-farm practices related to animal health management and milk handling predisposing risk factors to milk quality and safety in Githunguri. A cross-sectional survey using a pre-tested questionnaire was administered to randomly selected smallholder dairy farmers (n= 457). Most farmers have enhanced standard measures for clean and safe milk production. However, a portion of them do not adhere to recommended practices such as screening workers for zoonotic diseases (82.8%), striping of milk for mastitis test (47.1%), teat dipping after milking (68%), feeding mouldy feeds to animals (35.2%) and observe withdrawal period after drugs administration (23.3%). The use of untreated water for sanitation and plastic containers for milk storage poses a threat to the quality and safety of milk. Furthermore, variations of farmers' demographic characteristics on milk collection routes influenced hygienic milk handling practices (p

English

The current study was aimed at assessing selected soil properties of forage gardens and perceptions of small-holder dairy farmers to newly introduced improved forage in Southern highlands, Tanzania. A total of 101 respondents were randomly sampled and interviewed on the issues relating to management, preferences, and adoption challenges of different pasture varieties. Some surveyed households (38) were purposefully chosen for soil sampling and analysis, since they had pasture plots &gt;256 m2 (~0.1 acres) and established Brachiaria hybrid, cv Cayman and cv Cobra, as well as Pennisetum purpureum cv Ouma and cv ILRI 16835 in their plots at the time of this survey. Results showed that total soil nitrogen was sufficient, exchangeable potassium was on the borderline between medium and low, and available phosphorus was below the required amount for optimum pasture production. The soil in some farms was acidic (pH&lt;5.5) which could inhibit phosphorus uptake and other cations availability. Little land was allocated for pasture cultivation and household income from dairy production was moderate. It was concluded that improving access to planting materials and dairy marketing could encourage farmers to intensify pasture and dairy production, hence, improving pasture farms&rsquo; soil condition and their livelihoods. Key words: Sustainable dairy production, pasture perception, pasture production challenges, pasture pests, soil fertility, soil pH.

Intra-annual variation in feed and milk composition in smallholder dairy farms in Kenya

Intra-annual variation in feed and milk composition in smallholder dairy farms in Kenya

Study on categorization of factors affecting smallholder dairy production in Siltie Zone, Southern Ethiopia, applying multivariate analysis approaches.

This study aims to categorize smallholder dairy farming systems through multivariate analysis. Nonlinear categorical principal component analysis (NLPCA) was used to lessen 35 variables into 4 sets of uncorrelated components. These four categories are environment-genetic interaction, management, hygiene, and genetic-related factors. Besides, within the two-step cluster analysis, a variable cluster membership was created that identified which family belonged to which cluster. For comparison purpose, hierarchical cluster analysis was used. A two-step cluster analysis results showed that most farms (41.50% and 31.90% in peri-urban and urban areas, respectively, had been in cluster 1 at the same time as most farms (66.70%) of urban areas had been in cluster 2. Overall, most (31.00% and 34.00%) of farms have been in clusters 1 and 2, respectively. Most farms in peri-urban areas had been challenged with scarcity of feed, mastitis, and animal sickness than farms within the urban and rural farming systems. Forming farmer groups as a cooperative to supply offerings together with feed processing devices, artificial insemination, and health services is usually recommended to triumph over such hassle. In addition, on account that it is primarily based on a couple of criteria, the category system evolved in this study depicts a lot better dairy farming systems with admiration to the variety of the components and the relative contribution of each component to dairy farming than do the single-criterion classifications. Hence, the results of such classifications should be seen as a start line from which to efficiently compare the modern extension system and eventually design the high-quality-fit extension models for a heterogeneous populace of smallholder dairy farmers.

ASSESSMENT OF CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS OF LOCAL MILK SUPPLY ON MARKET PERFORMANCE: A CASE OF ETHIOPIA, HORN OF AFRICA

The study aims at exploring the challenges and prospects of local milk supply in West Guji Zone. The study was conducted in three local administration of West Guji Zone; namely Bule Hora, Dugda Dawa, and Surro Bargudda. Milk was the most important dairy product marketed in the areas, so, the study was focused only on milk. Dairy Farmers from each local administration were selected using Proportional Probability to Size (SPSS version 22). The research was designed with cross sectional survey design for the small holder dairy farmers and census design for the Local Milk suppliers. Data were collected from 118 small holder House hold dairy farmers and 71 Local Milk suppliers and Small Holders Farmers 24 Totally 213 respondents Distributed questionnaire. Survey data collected from three local administrations was analyzed by using descriptive analysis.

Profil Peternak Rakyat Sapi Perah Peranakan Friesien Holstein Laktasi Pada Kelompok Ternak Desa Pesanggrahan, Kota Batu

This research was conducted on February 1, 2022 to March 1, 2022 in the PFH Lactation cattle group in Pesanggrahan Village, Batu City. Pesanggrahan Village Community. The research objectives of the formulation of the problem are 1) to analyze and find out how the profile of smallholder dairy farmers of Friesien Holstein lactation in the lactating PFH cattle group in Pesanggrahan Village, Batu City. 2) to analyze and determine the milk production of lactating Friesien Holstein Crossbreeds in the Lactation PFH Cattle group in Pesanggrahan Village, Batu City. This type of descriptive research is research conducted by searching/exploring (exploration) and an action that aims to obtain explanations and clarification of certain problems (clarification) regarding a phenomenon or social reality. The dairy farmer profile includes: 1) Respondent's identity, namely education level, age, sex, and length of breeding, 2) Ownership scale of Friesien Holstein Lactation cattle, 3) Type of feeding, and 4) Frequency of feeding. The conclusions that can be drawn during the implementation of the study are 1) The profile of smallholder dairy farmers of PFH Lactation are of productive age, with the most recent education level being elementary school. Most breeders have more than 10 years of experience and are dominated by small-scale small-scale farmers, 2) Dairy cow milk production in Pesanggrahan Village is on a medium – low scale, with the highest number in Toyomerto Hamlet. The density of milk in Pesanggrahan Village is still relatively low. Keywords: profile of smallholder farmers, PFH dairy cows, lactation, milk production

Characterizing Management Practices in High- and Average-Performing Smallholder Dairy Farms under Contrasting Environmental Stresses in Tanzania

This study characterized breeding, housing, feeding and health management practices in positive deviants and typical average performing smallholder dairy farms in Tanzania. The objective was to distinguish management practices that positive deviant farms deploy differently from typical farms to ameliorate local prevalent environmental stresses. In a sample of 794 farms, positive deviants were classified on criteria of consistently outperforming typical farms (p &lt; 0.05) in five production performance indicators: energy balance ≥ 0.35 Mcal NEL/d; disease-incidence density ≤ 12.75 per 100 animal-years at risk; daily milk yield ≥ 6.32 L/cow/day; age at first calving ≤ 1153.28 days; and calving interval ≤ 633.68 days. The study was a two-factor nested research design, with farms nested within the production environment, classified into low- and high-stress. Compared to typical farms, positive deviant farms had larger landholdings, as well as larger herds comprising more high-grade cattle housed in better quality zero-grazing stall units with larger floor spacing per animal. Positive deviants spent more on purchased fodder and water, and sourced professional veterinary services (p &lt; 0.001) more frequently. These results show that management practices distinguishing positive deviants from typical farms were cattle upgrading, provision of larger animal floor spacing and investing more in cattle housing, fodder, watering, and professional veterinary services. These distinguishing practices can be associated with amelioration of feed scarcity, heat load stresses, and disease infections, as well as better animal welfare in positive deviant farms. Nutritional quality of the diet was not analyzed, for which research is recommended to ascertain whether the investments made by positive deviants are in quality of feeds.

Application of infrared thermal technology to assess the level of heat stress and milk yield reduction of cows in tropical smallholder dairy farms.

Panting score (PS) is a common research tool used to assess the physiological state of cows exposed to heat stress, but it is subjective. Infrared temperature (IRT), measured by either infrared thermometers or cameras, may be a more objective and reliable alternative. Very few studies thus far have evaluated the associations between PS, IRT, and milk production. We investigated the applicability of IRT compared with PS as a means of assessing heat stress and milk yield reduction in dairy cows in tropical smallholder dairy farms (SDF). In autumn 2017, SDF located across 4 typical dairy regions of Vietnam were each visited once to collect farm (n = 32) and individual cow data (n = 344). For each SDF, heat load index (HLI) inside the cowsheds, an indicator of environmental heat load calculated from ambient temperature, humidity, and wind speed, was measured. For each cow, PS (0 indicates a cow breathing normally, not panting; 4.5 indicates an extremely heat-stressed cow with excessive panting, tongue fully extended, and excessive drooling), IRT of the cow's body, single-day energy-corrected milk yield (ECM), body weight, and body condition score were measured. Cow genotype, age, lactation number, and days in milk were recorded. The IRT of the cows' inner vulval lip (IVuT) were measured with an infrared thermometer; and the IRT of the cows' vulval surface (OVuT), inner tail base surface (ITBT), ocular area, muzzle, armpit area, paralumbar fossa area, fore udder, rear udder, fore hoof, and hind hoof were also measured with an infrared camera. Multivariate mixed-effects models were used to assess the associations between HLI with PS and IRT, and associations between PS and IRT with ECM while accounting for the effects of other cow variables. All IRT correlated positively with PS (Pearson correlation, r = 0.23-0.50). Each unit increase in HLI was associated with increases of 0.07 units in PS and 0.09 to 0.23°C in IRT. Each degree (°C) increase in IVuT, OVuT, and ITBT was associated with decreases of 0.75, 0.87, and 0.70 kg/cow per day in ECM, respectively, whereas PS and other IRT were not significantly associated with ECM. Thus, all IRT showed potential to assess the heat stress level of cows; and IVuT, OVuT, and ITBT, but not PS and other IRT, showed potential to predict ECM reduction in cows during heat stress. First cross (F1) Holstein Brown Swiss and F1 Holstein Jersey showed lower PS and yielded higher ECM than the third backcross (B3) Holstein Zebu (7/8 Holstein + 1/8 Zebu) and pure Holstein. Thus, F1 Holstein Brown Swiss and F1 Holstein Jersey could be more suitable for tropical SDF than B3 Holstein Zebu and pure Holstein.

Experiences in Promoting Ensiling of Onion Crop Residue among Smallholder Dairy Farmers in Namakkal District of Tamil Nadu

In mixed crop-livestock system country like India, frequent occurrence of drought limit animal feed resources such as green fodder and crop residues. Forage conservation technologies and Non-Conventional Feed Resources (NCFR) could mitigate dry season feed shortage but their adoption in smallholder systems has so far been low and varying across regions. In order to address and develop solution to the issues, this action research was attempted to introduce onion crop residue-based silage among small onion (Allium cepa) cultivating farmers of Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu. For the above purpose, ensiling of onion crop residue was standardised. Then attempts were made to popularise the standardised silage preparation using polypropylene bags and feeding of silage to dairy animals through farmers meetings, training, demonstration and fi eld days. The adoption rate and perception on onion crop residue silage using bags were studied one year after intervention. This study found that 16.70 per cent had adoption of promoted technology and the remaining has not adopted. Added, majority of the farmers reported that silage making using fresh onion crop residue has less relative advantage over the existing practice, involves high complex procedures and has limited potential of experimenting in small scale. Furthermore, onion cropping area, herd size and perception(s) on the attributes of the technology diff erentiated adopters and non-adopters. The limited adoption of recommended technology demands bottom up / participatory approach for adoptable feed innovation

Adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Practices Among Smallholder Dairy Farmers in Malaysia: Contributing Factors and Smart Farming Prospects

Adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Practices (SAP) among smallholder dairy farmers in developing countries, especially within the Asia Pacific region remains low. This is probably attributable to the fact that psycho-social factors are not considered during the adoption process. The current study was carried out in order to increase the adoption of SAP in Malaysia, by investigating psycho-social factors among dairy farmers. It adopted the enhanced Theory of Planned Behaviour to investigate smallholder dairy farmers’ intention to uptake SAP in Malaysia. This study applied the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to model how psycho-social factors influence farmers’ SAP adoption decisions. A key finding of this study was that farmers who are equipped with the right attitude and belief have the ability to adopt SAP and are inclined to adopt SAP in their farms. Hence, it was proposed that a holistic approach is recommended towards formulating policies and drawing intervention strategies that focus on the farmers’ needs and abilities. This would motivate farmers to make choices that would lead to a change of behaviour towards adopting SAP. Additionally, the producer-led approach adopted in this study provided insights into smallholder dairy farmers’ beliefs and behaviour.

The impact of dairy cooperatives on milk producers’ revenues of Ihuza Aborozi ba Kijyambere Bafatanyinje (IAKIB) in Gicumbi District of Rwanda. Application of Propensity Score Matching (PSM)

Dairy cooperatives should have a significant impact in the future in terms of regenerating rural life. The pressing need in the Cooperative sector in the era of liberalized environments is to seize every opportunity available for the country. Diary co-operatives mainly from cattle production played a vital role in our country’s economy in the previous era and will do so in years to come. This study aims to assess the impact of dairy cooperatives on milk producers’ revenues in the Gicumbi district of Rwanda. The total sample involved in this research was 974, from four cow milk producers, namely Bukure MCC-Cooperative d’Elevage Moderne de Bukure (COOPEMOBU), Koperative Zamuka Mworozi (KOZAMGI) and Borozi Twisungane Kabuga-Nyamiyaga and Giramata, which form the cooperative union of Ihuza Aborozi ba Kijyambere Bafatanyinje (IAKIB). The total sample size to be taken from three cooperatives and other recorded local farmers supplying their milk to the nearest Milk Collection Centres, as preselected, is 260 milk producers, including 187 participants and 73 non-participants of dairy cooperatives. The study used a descriptive survey design, encompassing three cooperatives and other dairy producers not members of cooperatives from Gicumbi district. Descriptive statistics, t-test, Standard Deviation, means, frequency and percentages, as well as a Propensity Score Matching model were used to analyse the results of the study. The study findings show that the average total gross revenue was 551,113 Rwandan francs for these farmers, while the mean difference between dairy cooperative participants and non-participants ranged from 50,146 Rwandan francs to 168,145 Rwandan francs as program impact. This is an indication that participants in dairy cooperatives gain more compared to their factual group. The study recommends that small holder dairy producers should be supported to enable them to produce surplus milk for markets and reduce local milking cow numbers by replacing them with crossbred cows. It is recommended that governments should also strengthen milk processing cooperatives and improve their infrastructure facilities to reduce the transportation cost for small-scale dairy producers.

Risk Factors Associated with Sub-Clinical Mastitis and Antibacterial Resistance in Small-Holder Dairy Farms of Kajiado North Sub-County, Kenya

Introduction: Worldwide, there is a paucity of literature on subclinical mastitis, and antimicrobial resistance patterns of bacteria isolated from dairy animals kept in peri-urban areas. This study aimed at determining the prevalence of sub-clinical mastitis (SCM) and the sensitivity of the isolated bacteria to selected antibiotics in dairy cows kept by small-scale farmers in Kajiado North Sub-County, Kenya. Simultaneously, a questionnaire was administered to determine and assess the risk factors associated with mastitis.&#x0D; Materials and methods: Milk was obtained from all quarters of 101 lactating dairy cows, sampled from 50 farms, and screened for SCM using California Mastitis Test. The samples were cultured and bacteria identified using standard bacteriological methods. Antibacterial sensitivity of Staphylococcus spp. and Escherichia coli isolates were tested using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method, against commonly used antibiotics.&#x0D; Results: The prevalence of SCM at cow and udder quarter levels were 51.2% and 47.5%, respectively. The prevalence of the bacteria was Staphylococcus spp. (51.4%), Klebsiella spp. (40.5%), Pseudomonas spp. (34.6%) and E. coli (11.8%). The risk factors significantly associated with SCM were breed, parity, lactation stage, and milking hygiene. The highest prevalence of SCM was found in cows in late-stage lactation (78%) with the lowest in those in early-stage lactation (37.5%). A higher prevalence of SCM was found in cows housed in farm structures having poor hygiene (95%). The highest prevalence of SCM was in Friesian breeds (67.3%) and the least affected were the indigenous cows (27.3%). Cows in the fourth and higher parities were the most (64.7%) affected by SCM. Most of the Staphylococcus spp. isolates were found to exhibit resistance to oxytetracycline (73%) but had high sensitivity to gentamycin (69%). All E. coli isolates showed resistance to oxytetracycline while a 75% were sensitive to Chloramphenicol. In conclusion, the study showed that a large proportion of cows were affected by SCM, with the main causative agent being Staphylococcus spp.&#x0D; Conclusion: The study shows that antibiotic resistance was alarmingly high in the study animals. The predisposing factors should be further investigated with a view to developing necessary interventions.

Multivariate analysis identifying the main factors associated with cow productivity and welfare in tropical smallholder dairy farms in Vietnam

This study aimed to rank potential drivers of cow productivity and welfare in tropical smallholder dairy farms (SDFs) in Vietnam. Forty-one variables were collected from 32 SDFs located in four geographically diverse dairy regions, with eight SDFs per region. Twelve variables, including milk yield (MILK), percentages of milk fat (mFA), protein (mPR), dry matter (mDM), energy-corrected milk yield (ECM), heart girth (HG), body weight (BW), ECM per 100 kg BW (ECMbw), body condition score (BCS), panting score (PS), inseminations per conception (tAI), and milk electrical resistance (mRE) of cows, were fitted as outcome variables in the models. Twenty-one other variables describing farm altitude, housing condition, and diet for the cows, cow genotypes, and cow physiological stage were fitted as explanatory variables. Increased farm altitude was associated with increases in ECM and mRE and with decreases in PS and tAI (P < 0.05). Increases in roof heights and percentage of shed side open were associated with increases in ECM, mFA, and mDM (P < 0.05). Increased dry matter intake and dietary densities of dry matter and fat were associated with increased MILK, ECM, and ECMbw and decreased tAI (P < 0.05). Increased dietary lignin density was associated with increased PS. Increased genetic proportion of Brown Swiss in the herd was associated with increased MILK, ECM, and ECMbw (P < 0.05). Thus, to improve cow productivity and welfare in Vietnamese SDFs, the following interventions were identified for testing in future cause-effect experiments: increasing floor area per cow, roof heights, shed sides open, dry matter intake, dietary fat density, and the genetic proportion of Brown Swiss and decreasing dietary lignin density.

Impact of Improved Forage Technology Adoption on Dairy Productivity and Household Income: A Propensity Score Matching Estimation in Northern Ethiopia

Adoption of improved forage technologies remains to be one of a promising strategy to boost dairy productivity and enhance household income in many developing countries. However, there are limited rigorous impact evaluation studies on the contributions of such technologies on smallholder dairy productivity and household welfare. This paper examined the impact of improved forage technologies use on smallholder dairy productivity and farm household income in Northern Ethiopia. In this study, a cross-sectional survey design and a multistage stratified sampling procedure were employed. Primary data for the study were obtained from a random sample of 319 rural households, 128 of which are improved forage technology users and the rest are nonusers. The research employed the propensity score matching (PSM) procedure to determine the causal relationship between adoption of improved forage technologies and changes in milk yield and farm household income. Results from PSM revealed that households using improved forage technologies have increased the household milk yield (productivity) by 29.32% and farm income (welfare) by 19.56%. Higher milk yield and annual farm income were compared to those households not using such technologies. Our findings highlight the importance of promoting multiple improved forage technologies among rural smallholder’s dairy producers. Considering this potential, it is suggested that improved forage technology generation, dissemination, and adoption interventions be strengthened for optimum milk production and to attain optimum income under the smallholder farmers’ dairy production system. Moreover, the linkage among research, extension, universities, and farmers needs to be enhanced through facilitating a multistakeholder’s innovation platform.

Identifying Positive Deviant Farms Using Pareto-Optimality Ranking Technique to Assess Productivity and Livelihood Benefits in Smallholder Dairy Farming under Contrasting Stressful Environments in Tanzania

In smallholder dairy-cattle farming, identifying positive deviants that attain outstanding performance can inform targeted improvements in typical, comparable farms under similar environmental stresses. Mostly, positive deviants are identified subjectively, introducing bias and limiting generalisation. The aim of the study was to objectively identify positive deviant farms using the Pareto-optimality ranking technique in a sample of smallholder dairy farms under contrasting stressful environments in Tanzania to test the hypothesis that positive deviant farms that simultaneously outperform typical farms in multiple performance indicators also outperform in yield gap, productivity and livelihood benefits. The selection criteria set five performance indicators: energy balance ≥ 0.35 Mcal NEL/d, disease-incidence density ≤ 12.75 per 100 animal-years at risk, daily milk yield ≥ 6.32 L/cow/day, age at first calving ≤ 1153.28 days and calving interval ≤ 633.68 days. Findings proved the hypothesis. A few farms (27: 3.4%) emerged as positive deviants, outperforming typical farms in yield gap, productivity and livelihood benefits. The estimated yield gap in typical farms was 76.88% under low-stress environments and 48.04% under high-stress environments. On average, total cash income, gross margins and total benefits in dairy farming were higher in positive deviants than in typical farms in both low- and high-stress environments. These results show that the Pareto-optimality ranking technique applied in a large population objectively identified a few positive deviant farms that attained higher productivity and livelihood benefits in both low- and high-stress environments. However, positive deviants invested more in inputs. With positive deviant farms objectively identified, it is possible to characterise management practices that they deploy differently from typical farms and learn lessons to inform the uptake of best practices and extension messages to be directed to improving dairy management.