Smallholder milk production, milk handling and utilization: A case study from the Nharira/Lancashire farming area, Zimbabwe

摘要

ThispaperpresentsdatacollectedfromtheNharira/LancashireFarmingAreawhichrunsasmallholderdairyschemeinZimbabwe.Historically,thesmallholdersectorhasbeenfairlyinsignificantinmilkproductionasmilkwasmainlysuppliedtothedairyindustrybylarge-scalecommercialproducers.Since1983,ithasbeenpartofgovernmentpolicy,however,toencouragefarmersinthesmallholdersub-sectortoproducemilkonacommercialscaleasasourceofthemuchneededincome.Membershipofthesmallholderdairysectorisestimatedat2000,ofwhichabout800produceandsellmilk.ThisstudyexaminedmilkproductionandutilizationintheNharira/LancashireRegionduringtheperiodJanuarytoDecember1993.Themainbreedskeptbymilkproducersinthisareawereexoticdairybreeds,indigenousMashonabreed(Bosindicus)andcross-bredanimals.Exoticdairycowsproducedmoremilkthantheothertwogroups.Milkingwasdonebyhandandmostoftheproducersusedbicyclestotransportmilktothecollectioncentre.Themilkwassoldfreshorafteritwasfermentedtonaturallyfermentedorculturedmilk.Rawmarketmilkwasmostlyconsumedintea,whilethetwofermentedmilksweremainlyeatenwithsadza,alocalfood,andwithothercereal-basedfoodproducts.