Smallholder Dairy Farming: A Solution to Low Milk Production in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Thirty-five years after the smallholder dairy farming program was initiated, milk intake is still below average in Zimbabwe. Several reasons have been identified to limit optimum milk production and these include; inappropriate breeds, inadequate feed supply, lack of government support, cost of production, poor marketing channels, poor disease control methods, inadequate infrastructure, weak extension support, lack of farmer involvement in production planning, poor social relations between farmers and management. Regrettably none of the limitations have been adequately addressed within the context of a smallholder dairy farmer; therefore, the initiative has not been fully tested for or against. The reliance on well-wisher funds by local authorities in this farming sector cannot be a solution to improving milk production. There is need for control mechanism and proper budgeting of available funds towards capacitating of smallholder dairy farmers.