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Smallholder dairy development in Malawi
J.T.K. Munthali 1, EA. Musa 2 and C.L.K. Chiwayula 3
1. Department of Agricultural Research, Box 30134, Lilongwe 3, Malawi.
2. Departmc.at of Animal Health and Industry, P.O. Box 30372, Lilongwe 3, Malawi.
3. Lilon&%ve Agricultural Development Division, P.O. Box 259, Lilongwe, Malawi.
Sumnnty
The key factor affecting dairying in Malawi was
the demand for nilk created by urbanisation and
which had been largely met by settlers. Dairying
was subsequently strengthened by the
introduction of a pilot scheme to Improve the
quality of milk and to create an organised
marketing system.
Smallholder dairying at an institutional level
is constrained by, among other things, limited
budgetary allocations from the Treasury to invest
in farms supplying dairy cattle, the inadequate
training of animal scientists at all levels and
inadequate training of farmers. Extension agents
lack practical skills and therefore confidence.
Govemmentfarmsareunabletoproduceenough
cows to meet demand. Due to lack of financial
resources, farmer-training is normally Iimited to
two weeks at most and no follow,up courses are
usually conducted. This results in mismanagement
of cattle by farmers, which leads to
a lack of appreciation of dairy enterprises as a
business. Constraints at the farm-level include
low literacy rate of farmers, lack of enterprise
specialisation, limited resources for investing in
cows and pastures and the shortage of labo,,r at
the peak cropping period. This labour problem is
a direct result of the lack of enterprise
specialisation. In some cases land is becomiog a
limiting
dairy farms.
resource in the expansion of existi.g
Finally, it is pertinent to reiterate that the key
to the modest success of smallholder dairying in
Malawi is the marketing of milk and its products,
Almost all dairy farmers have access to a market
outlet and have tended to feel that dairying is a
low-risk enterprise,
Introduction
Malawi is in Routh-east Africa. It is bordered by
Tanzania on the north-east and Zambia on
the north-west; the remaining sides border
Mozambique. The country lies between 9"45'and
17"5' south and longitudes 33"and 36"east. It has
a total area of 119,140 km 2 , a third of which is
water. The climate is subtropical. Rainfall is
unimodal, falling between November and April.
There is a dry period from May through to
October/November. Rainfall ranges from 750
mm in the plateau areas of the country to 1000
143
Trua in the highlands and along some parts of
Lake Malawi. In 1986 the National Statistical
Office estimated the human population to be 7.9
million (NSO, 1986), with a growth rate of 3.3%
a year. Approximately half the population is
under the age of 15 years; 90%of the population
live in rural areas. About half the population
lives in the southern part of Malawi, where the
population density is 107 people per km 2 . The
Northern Region has tie lowest population
(12%), with a population density of30 people per
kin 2 .
The agricultural sector employs over 85% of
all Malawians, mainly growing subsistence
crops such as maize, cassava, rice, sorghums/
millets and pulses. Over 70% of the cultivated
area is under customary land tenure. The
average land holding for smallholder farmers
ranges from less than 0.5 ha to 2.5 ha. The estate
sector uses abuut 5% of the cultivated area.
Livestock also play a major role in the socioeconomic
welfare of Malawians. Over 80% of
farmers own livestock and livestock account for
8% of the country's Gross Domestic Product
(GDP). At the household level, the contribution
of livestock to cash earnings of crop-livestock
farmers is estimated to be 36% and 44% of the
cash earnings during the dry and wet season,
respcctively. Crops contribute 38% and 26%,
respectively, during the same periods (Dairy and
Beef
B e Project,
rj c ,1 1988). 8 )
For most Malawians, cattle are the most
important livestock even though only 13% of the
smallholder farmers own them. Cattle are used
as a reserve of wealth to provide cash to purchase
major items and to meet expenses such as
fertilisers, food and clothes, school fees and/or
legal obligations. Some ethnic groups use cattle
to pay dowry. Meat and particularly milk are
consumed, whereas skins are sold or used for
making drums, beds and chairs. Cattle also
provide traction power and manure among other
functions.
Almost 90% of the cattle are Malawi Zebu
(bos indicus). The remainder are mainly
crossbreds between Malawi Zebu and Friesians;
these are the foundation stock of the dairy herd
in the country. This report will discuss dairy
development, its conception, factors that
contributed to its growth, constraints and
suggestions for future development. It is hoped
that the paper will act as a stimulus for