Factors influencing milk production among dairy farmers in Southwest, Nigeria

Abstract

It is estimated that herds of cattle worth $18.2 million are reared and 82% of these animals are raised in an extensive system but Nigeria spent about $1.2 billion on milk importation, this indicates that the nation is still far from sustainability. The study examines the management practices of dairy farmers, sources of information, challenges, and factors that influence milk production in the study area. The study area covered Southwest, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 293 respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive and influential statistics. The result shows that the majority of the respondents were between 51-60 years, married, with no formal education, and had 21-30 years of farming experience. The majority produced an average of 11-20 liters of milk per day, radio was their main source of information, challenges faced by dairy farmers were the health of the animal, climate change, and breed of the animals. The factor influencing the farmers’ decision is the milking of animals (P>0.032). It is concluded that dairy production in the study area is not thriving as expected due to the above challenges. Therefore, dairy farmers need more orientation, government support, and training on the intensive management system.