Operational Challenges to Smallholder Dairy Farming: The Case of Mayfield Dairy Settlement Scheme in Chipinge District of Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study looked at the operational challenges to smallholder dairy farming. Focus in this study was specifically on Mayfield Small Scale Dairy Settlement Scheme in Chipinge District of Zimbabwe. The study made use of interviews, questionnaires, observations and project reports in collecting both qualitative and quantitative research data. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to a sample of 75 farmers randomly selected from a total population of 345 family farmers on the dairy settlement scheme. In addition, 24 key informants were conveniently sampled for interviews from among the scheme's management, farmer committee leaders and extension staff. The study noted that while dairy operations at the settlement scheme managed to yield notable benefits to the farmers, there were a number of operational challenges working against full commercialization of production at the scheme. These problems bordered on lack of access to capital, poor production and marketing infrastructure, weak extension support, insecure land tenure, lack of farmer involvement in production planning and poor social relations between farmers and management on the one hand and among the farmers themselves, on the other hand. The study recommends that these problems be addressed, not only at Mayfield Dairy Settlement Scheme, but also elsewhere, if smallholder dairy operations are to serve as real tools for rural transformation in Zimbabwe and other less developed countries.