The Future for Smallholder Dairying

Abstract

Smallholder dairying has been defined in terms of numbers of animals per producer, the resources available to an individual producer, and as a component of an integrated farm and an integrated dairy industry. In postulating the possible future for smallholder dairying, it is necessary to acknowledge variations between individuals and groups of farmers, countries and regions, and the impact of such diverse factors as dietary preferences, alternative occupations, colonial heritage, trade regulations and subsidies. Assessments of international development agencies such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have largely rested on assumptions that smallholder dairy producers in develop..