aistand south~ern afrkca - (PDF, 101 mb) - USAID

establishment of small-scale rural processing Performance of localiy rearedHolsteins on
plants to minimise souring of milk and annual government farms and smallholdings
price increases that reflect cost of milk In addition to the Friesians imported from the
production. Britain, some Holsteins were imported from
Evaluation Evalatin oftheprodctiity of the productivity off dairy diry
cattle on smallholder and government
farms
The British Friesian is smaller thani the
Canada. and on-station Their offspring (Table 5). were evaluated on-farm
ocay rea le c n m
Locally reared Holstein cows on government
farms out-yielded those placed on smallholdings
because the former were better fed and managed
Canadian Holstein and the former was selected than the latter. The results also indicate that the
for crossbreeding programmes for smallholder productivity of Canadian Holstein is much
conditions in Malawi. As a follow up, the higher than that of the British Friesians under
performance of Malawi Zebu/Friesian crosses
has been evaluated on research stations and
similar conditions.
on-farm (Table 4). The effect of urea-treated maize stover on
The Friesian foundation stock was imported
from the Britain. Animal performance on
government and s'allholdur fariix hs.q heen
variable (Table 4). The 112 Friesian, 3/4 Friesian,
7/8 Friesian, High Grade (15/16 and 31/32
Friesian) crosses and pure-bred Fi:esians kept
on government research farms give higher
the performance of lactating crossbred
dairy cows
A diei, iw d on uw.a-lhieated maize stover was
introduced in an attempt to find ways to improve
on-farm feuling of dairy cows. A total of 12
half-bred Sahiwals (Sahiwal x Friesian x Malawi
Zebu) and high-grade Friesian crosses (Friesian
average daily milk yield than those kept on and Malawi Zebu) were used in the expeiments.
smallholdings. Agyemang and Nkhonjera (1986) The treatments were as follows:
and Kasowanjete and Sill (1988) reported that * Maize stover sprayed with water at the rate
the differences were due to differences in feeding of 1 litre of water to 1 kg ofmaize stover dry
levels. In 1988, feeding a dairy cow over a matter (DM) (control)
309-day lactation cost approximately K950 (US$ * Maize stover sprayed with 2% urea solution
450, as at 1988), a sum unaffordable to many
Malawi smallhijlder farmers. Extension worke;.
should, therefore, advise farmers to keep lower
grades of crossbreds.
(20 gurea in 1litre water) at the rate of 1litre
of urea solution to 1 kg of maize stover DM
• Maize stover sprayed with 4% urea solution
Three-quarter Friesians gave higher annual
milk production and total lactation production
at the rate of 1 litre of solution to 1 kg ofniaize
stover DM.
than 12 Friesians (Table 4); differences were The sprayed maize stover was ensiled before
larger on government farms. The variance in the feeding. Treatment groups ofcows were balanced
annual yield reflected the dissimilarity in according to breed, initial mean weekly milk
management in the two production systems. yield, lactation number and days in lactation.
Table 4. Average milk yieldperformance of British Friesians and crossbreds with Malawi Zebu.
Genotype (proportion of Frieslan blood)
1 7
/tF 4F bF HGF F
Smallholder farms
Number 554 227 20 12
Calving interval (morths) 16.3 16.1
Lactation length (days) 368 391 303 304
Lactation yield (kg) 1953 2424 2060 2489
Lactation yield/day (kg) 5.3 6.2 6.8 8.2
Calculated annual production (kg) 1689 2054
Government farms (research statione)
Number 52 151 86 220 97
Calving Interval (months) 13.6 16.1 15.5 14.9 16.6
Lactation length (days) 307 331 323 302 306
Lactation yield (kg) 1677 2316 2568 2602 2790
Lactation yield/day (kg) 5.5 7.4 8.0 8.6 9.1
Calcuiated annual production (kg) 1480 1726 1988 2096 2017
Source: KasowanJote and Sill (1988).
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