The plight of dairy farmers and their cows

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Chubashini Suntharalingam ◽  
Keng Kok Tee
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Marketing Channel ◽  
Product Diversification ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Fresh Milk ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
Small Scale Dairy

Subject area Entrepreneurship, Small Business, Small-scale Dairy Farmers Study level/applicability This case is appropriate for undergraduate final year/senior as well as graduate-level programme students. Case overview This case explores the life of Saravanan, a small-scale dairy farmer in Malaysia. He inherited the business from his father. Small-scale farmers in Malaysia own farms with 30 (or fewer) milking cows. Over the years, milk consumption had been on the rise, but production was less than promising. Besides low-quality milk, Saravanan often experienced issues of low milk yield. Selling fresh milk as his only source of income and the milk collection centre as his sole marketing channel, Saravanan was caught in a financially tight situation when product diversification and marketing initiatives were limited. Saravanan’s problems began with rejected fresh milk, which landed him with zero income for the day. This issue was detected when the authorities identified a few contaminated batches of milk during a site visit. The problem compounded when Saravanan had to settle three months’ debt with the feed supplier on the same day. Saravanan’s predicament echoed the plight faced by small-scale farmers in Malaysia. After managing the farm for more than 30 years, Saravanan had plans to pass it to his son, Mugunthan. However, doubts about the sustainability of the business remained. Would Mugunthan suffer the same dire fate? Would he be able to find a way out? Based on the problem-solving framework, the case attempts to identify and assess the problems faced by small-scale dairy farmers in Malaysia, and at the same time, to suggest solutions that will ensure the sustainability of their business. Expected learning outcomes After attempting the case, students should learn to empathise with the hardship small-scale dairy farmers endure in the pursuit of their businesses, analyse issues and determine the root causes of the problems faced by small-scale dairy farmers in Malaysia based on the problem-solving framework, generate and justify sustainable solutions to solve the problems faced by these dairy farmers and present the case, discuss and work in teams, and critically offer sustainable solutions based on framework and theories. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Factors Affecting Milk Quality and Safety among Large- and Small-Scale Dairy Farmers in Zimbabwe

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annah Shingirai Paraffin ◽  
Titus Jairus Zindove ◽  
Michael Chimonyo
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Milk Quality ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Quality And Safety ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
Large Farms ◽  
Small Scale Dairy

The study investigated the perceptions of milk producers on milk quality and safety. Randomly selected large-scale farmers (n=158) and small-scale farmers (n=186) were surveyed using semistructured questionnaires. An ordinal logistic regression was used to estimate the probability of farmers considering milk quality and safety important. Large-scale farmers were 3 times more likely to consider that breed affects milk quality compared to their small-scale counterparts. Farmers aged over 30 years were 3 times more likely to indicate that hygiene affected milk quality. The likelihood of milk transportation affecting its quality was 4 times higher in small-scale farmers compared to large-scale producers. Postmilking contamination of milk was perceived to occur during transportation by small-scale farmers, whilst commercial farmers ranked storage as the important source of contamination after milking. Udder diseases were ranked first by large-scale farmers while small-scale farmers ranked milking environment as the major cause of milk spoilage. The likelihood of milk safety being important was two times higher in large farms compared to small-scale farms. Intervention programmes on milk safety should mainly target small-scale dairy farmers since they are less concerned about milk quality and safety.

Use of information and communication technologies in small-scale dairy production systems in central Mexico

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 767-779
Author(s):  
Juan de Dios García-Villegas ◽  
Anastacio García-Martínez ◽  
Carlos Manuel Arriaga-Jordán ◽  
Monica Elizama Ruiz-Torres ◽  
Adolfo Armando Rayas-Amor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Central Mexico ◽  
Dairy Production ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Small Scale Dairy

AbstractThe objective of the study was to characterize small-scale dairy production systems to identify the technological preferences according to the farmer and farm characteristics and to analyze the importance and role of the information communication technologies (ICTs) in the dissemination of information related to management and livestock activities. To collect the data, a survey was applied to 170 small-scale dairy farmers from central Mexico. To characterize the farms, a factor analysis (FA) and cluster analysis (CA) were performed. To compare and identify differences between groups, a Kruskal–Wallis test was conducted. Four factors that explain 70.93% of the accumulated variance were identified; these factors explain the use of technology, production characteristics, social connections, and use of ICTs. The cluster analysis identified four groups. Group 1 was integrated by farmers with more experience and the largest farms. Group 2 had higher studies and use of ICTs. Group 3 was formed by young farmers but had a low use of technology. Group 4 contained older farmers with a low use of technology. The young farmers with higher studies have begun to incorporate ICTs into their daily activities on the farm, as observed in Group 2. Smartphones were the most used and were considered important by the farmers of the four groups, since they enable interaction with other farmers and the dissemination of topics of interest related with the farm. In conclusion, four group of farmers were differentiated; therefore, different extension approaches should be implemented to take into account the preferences and the technologies considered most important for each group. The ICTs are emerging technologies among small-scale dairy farmers to communicate information related to livestock management, mainly by young farmers with studies of secondary, as observed in Group 2.

scholarly journals Knowledge and risk factors for foot-and-mouth disease among small-scale dairy farmers in an endemic setting

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dickson Machira Nyaguthii ◽  
Bryony Armson ◽  
Philip Mwanzia Kitala ◽  
Beatriz Sanz-Bernardo ◽  
Antonello Di Nardo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Foot And Mouth Disease ◽  
Mouth Disease ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Endemic Setting ◽  
Foot And Mouth ◽  
Small Scale Dairy

scholarly journals Artificial insemination services under different institutional framework in Bangladesh

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 166-174
Author(s):  
MM Uddin ◽  
MN Sultana ◽  
GV Huylenbroek ◽  
KJ Peters
Keyword(s):  
Public Service ◽  
Artificial Insemination ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Public ◽  
Small Scale Dairy

The objective of the study was to compare the provision of the existing artificial insemination service delivery system (AI-SDS) among public, private and autonomous institutions to the small-scale dairy farmers in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional survey was conducted by using a pre-tested and pre-designed questionnaire and face-to-face interview technique. A stratified-purposive sampling technique was applied to select 165 small-scale dairy farmers from four study areas. Descriptive statistics were performed to know the frequency of the provision of AI services. Public services were available in all study areas whereas autonomous services were only delivered in Mymensingh district. The private service was increasing faster than the public and autonomous service. The public service had higher incentives and network coverage compared to private and autonomous services. The results also showed that 50% of the respondent perceived the AI service as “public goods” and showed no willingness to pay (e.g., free of charge for public service). The demand for the services has been increasing but the existing organizations were not able to provide the services especially to the remote areas. From this study, it is recommended that farmers’ needs should be translated in a way that they get access to their required services in a satisfactory manner.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjas.v43i3.21643 Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2014. 43 (3): 166-174

Who and what set the price of walnuts for small-scale farmers in Southwest China?

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei Yan ◽  
Anne Terheggen ◽  
Dagmar Mithöfer
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Tree Planting ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Village Level ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
The Village

Purpose Domestic demand for walnuts has been on the rise for the last decades. Consumption outstrips domestic production capacities, which led to increasing prices until recently. Small-scale farmers are at the centre of walnut tree planting and walnut collection efforts. Farmers are now integrated into rapidly expanding agrifood value chains. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the walnut value chain originating in Yunnan (the dominant producer of walnuts in China). The authors are especially interested in the position of small-scale farmers in the chain and the factors affecting the price that they receive. Design/methodology/approach Price and intra-chain governance information were collected through structured interviews with value chain actors like certified and conventional small-scale farmers, traders, processors, food manufacturers and wholesalers. The resultant price data set was analysed using a multiple regression analysis. Findings Timing of harvest, distance to market and sales volume are correlated with the village-level price. Farmers are in a market governance segment of the chain. Lead firms (e.g. supermarkets) are price-setters and determine the value distribution, with farmers receiving a smaller share relative to downstream actors’ shares. Research limitations/implications Improved connectivity to markets, transparency of standards and price (formation), processing and certification could improve farmers’ profits. Originality/value The authors contribute to the growing literature of value chain studies focussing on farmers’ integration into food systems at different scales. The authors investigated the price determinants at the village level and additionally provide information on an organic marketing arrangement.

scholarly journals Production and Promotion of Triticale as a High Quality Fodder and Feed in Small-Scale Dairy Farmers of Bangladesh

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-228
Author(s):  
ME Haque ◽  
SR Waddington ◽  
ZI Sarker ◽  
NR Sarker ◽  
M Akteruzzaman
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Fresh Mass ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Dual Purpose ◽  
Green Fodder ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Small Scale Dairy

In Bangladesh, high quality fodder is scare from December to May for ruminant livestock and feed is expensive throughout the year for poultry. A project was conducted in the cool dry Rabi (December-February) seasons of 2005-06 and 2006-07 to promote triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) as a high quality dual-purpose fodder and feed for small-scale dairy and poultry producers. During 2005 and 2006, 504 farm families from six districts in north western and central Bangladesh received training on triticale cultivation and its utilization as a green fodder for dairy cows and for grain. Printed training manuals and visual training materials (including a DVD docudrama) were developed, used in training, and distributed widely. On-farm demonstrations on triticale production were mounted with each trained farm family in two years using a dual-purpose fodder and grain type triticale variety, WRF-7, that earlier on farm research had identified to perform well in Bangladesh. High quality grass fodder was obtained by cutting the vegetative triticale plants either twice (at 35 and 50 days after seeding (DAS)or once (at around 40 days), while the later ratooning tillers produced grain. In 168 farmer demonstrations in 2005-06, the green fodder yield ranged from 4.9 to 20.0 t/ha fresh mass (0.7 t/ha to 2.7 t/ha dry mass) from one cut at 35 DAS and 7 to 28 t/ha fresh mass from two cuts at 35 and 50 DAS. Overall, 62% of farmers reported yields above 10 t/ha of fresh green fodder. A mean grain yield of 1.8 t/ha was obtained from WRF-7 after two cuts on-farm. Straw yields ranged from 0.8 to 7.1 t/ha dry mass. 324 farmers hosted similar demonstrations in 2006-07 and reported higher yields of green fodder, ranging from 7.4 to 33.7 t/ha fresh mass from one cut at 40 to 42 DAS. A higher mean grain yield of 2.8 t/ha was obtained from WRF-7 after one cut for fodder in 2006-07. Assessments of WRF-7 dual-purpose triticale by farmers were very positive, with 97% wanting to grow triticale again in more land ranging from 0.04 ha to 0.81 ha (Table 3). From experience, many farmers decided it was more efficient to cut triticale once for green fodder. Almost all farmers reported benefits to milk production and farm income from feeding triticale fodder to cows. It was concluded that smallholder dairy farmers in North-West Bangladesh can easily produce sufficient amounts of quality fodder for dairy cows and feed for poultry from WRF-7 dual-purpose triticale during periods of severe fodder shortages.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/pa.v19i2.16964 Progress. Agric. 19(2): 217 - 228, 2008

scholarly journals Economic efficiency of milk production among small-scale dairy farmers in Mukurweini, Nyeri County, kenya

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 152-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florence Maina ◽  
John Mburu ◽  
George Gitau ◽  
John VanLeeuwen ◽  
Yigzaw Negusse
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Economic Efficiency ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Small Scale Dairy

scholarly journals FACTORS INFLUENCING ADOPTION OF CROP AND FORAGE RELATED AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY TECHNOLOGIES BY SMALL-SCALE DAIRY FARMERS IN CENTRAL MEXICO

2015 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
CARLOS GALDINO MARTÍNEZ-GARCÍA ◽  
PETER DORWARD ◽  
TAHIR REHMAN
Keyword(s):  
Technology Adoption ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Herd Size ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression Model ◽  
Wealth Status ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Small Scale Dairy

SUMMARYIn order to identify factors that constrain or favour adoption of five crop or forage related and six animal husbandry technologies promoted by government to small-scale dairy farmers, a field survey was conducted with 115 farmers. A binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify socioeconomic and farm variables explaining the technology adoption. Factors that favoured technology adoption were based on perceived usefulness, productivity and benefits to the farm, farmer's skills and farm characteristics; moreover farmers were more willing to use technologies which required low levels of investment such as de-worming, vaccines, and data recording. Constraints were related to economic restrictions, lack of knowledge, lack of land, herd size, lack of extension advice, lack of information about government programmes, requirements associated with applying for government financial support, and technologies considered to be of little or no importance to the farm such as herbicides, artificial insemination (AI) and milking machines. Adoption of crop or forage related and animal husbandry technologies was significantly associated (p < 0.05) with socioeconomic (farmer's education, farmer's experience, farmer's wealth status) and farm characteristics (herd size, cows in production, milk yield, total hectares and technological level). It is concluded that the approach implemented in this study enables identification of key factors together with the communication approaches that have been successful.

Does weather matter? How rainfall affects credit risk in agricultural microfinance

2015 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 194-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niels Pelka ◽  
Oliver Musshoff ◽  
Ron Weber
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Credit Risk ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Weather Index ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
Linear Probability ◽  
Two Step Estimation

Purpose – Small-scale farmers in developing countries are undersupplied with capital. Although microfinance institutions (MFIs) have become well established in developing countries, they have not significantly extended their services to farmers. It is generally believed that this is partly due to the riskiness of lending to farmers. The purpose of this paper is to combine original data from a Madagascan MFI with weather data to estimate the effect of rainfall on the repayment performance of loans granted to farmers. Design/methodology/approach – The basis of the empirical analysis is a unique data set of a commercial MFI in Madagascar and weather data provided by the German Meteorological Service. The repayment performance of loans granted to small-scale farmers is estimated using a two-step estimation approach based on linear probability models (LPMs) and a sequential logit model (SLM). Findings – The results reveal that an excessive amount of rain in the harvest period of rice increases the credit risk of loans granted to small-scale farmers in Madagascar. Furthermore, the results confirm that credit features affect the repayment performance of loans. Research limitations/implications – Since the returns from weather index-based insurance (at least as a future contract) are perfectly correlated with weather events, the authors can set the effect of weather events on the repayment performance of loans equal to the effect of the returns of weather index-based insurance on the repayment performance of loans. Thus, the results imply that weather index-based insurance might have the potential to mitigate a certain part of the risk in agricultural lending. Practical implications – The focus and results of the present study are very relevant for MFIs, potential providers of weather index-based insurances as well as for farmers. The results confirm that weather events are a primary reason for the risk perception of lenders in developing countries toward small-scale farmers. Future research should, hence, concentrate on the development of index-based insurances in agricultural lending and consider interventions on different levels, e.g., insurance on the farm and the bank level. Originality/value – To the knowledge, this is the first study that combines original loan repayment data from a Madagascan MFI with weather data in order to estimate the effect of weather events on the repayment performance of loans granted to farmers. Furthermore, to the knowledge, this is the first study that uses a two-step estimation approach based on LPMs and a SLM to investigate the repayment performance in agricultural lending.

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