Dairy farming in Busia district: productivity, grazing systems and management practices.

Abstract

Since increased milk production is viewed as a means to alleviate poverty, particularly for smallholders, it is important to develop other approaches in order to effectively capture the limiting factors of the domestic milk sub-sector. The major objective of the study was to assess the productivity and management practices used by dairy cattle farmers in Dabani Sub County, Busia district. During the survey, 15 standardized questionnaires were administered to farmers in order to collect information on family structure, herd structure, milk productivity and management practices Data was coded and analysed using statistical Package for Social Scientists software (SPSS) version 20. This survey revealed that 33 percent of the farmers practiced intensive farming while 67 percent of them practiced semi intensive farming, High milk production was recorded in farms practicing intensive management (60 percent of the farms) while semi intensive management accounted for 10 percent of the farms. On daily basis, animal management activities involved feeding, cleaning, giving water to animals, milking, cutting grass such as Napier, and sometimes treatment. Most farmers (40%) were spraying their animals. fortnightly and monthly (33.3%) with few 6.7% spraying erratically. High milk production (11-15 litres per cow per day on average) was recorded in farms where farmers sprayed their animals fortnightly (66.7 percent) while those who sprayed their animals monthly, bi-monthly and erratically had low milk production (5-10 1iters per cow per day On average). Most of the dairy farms in Dabani Sub County had low milk production (5-l0 litres) from each cow per day, the dairy management systems practiced on dairy farms were mainly two namely; intensive and semi intensive management system. Intensive farming system is the best for dairy production, Fanners who sprayed their animals, fortnightly recorded the highest milk production. Dairy cattle farmers should embrace intensive system of dairy production to realize high milk yields and farmers should spray their animals fortnightly for effective tick control and increased milk productivity.