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ESADA News
DairyPost Africa • May 2014
FROM ESADA DESK
Technology
is the key to increasing
milk production
and a competitive African dairy industry
Opportunities in milk
production in Africa
T
he agricultural commodities market
place is changing radically. Today in
Africa we consume milk products
from cows and other dairy animals reared
in all corners of the world. Globalization
has forced the actors in agricultural value
chains to think beyond the local consumer
who is confronted by main choices from all
over the world. While pursuing the regional
and international markets, the actors must
appreciate that they must win at home
before taking it to the international market.
The commodities traders must recognize
that it is easier, more cost effective and less
risky to service a local and regional market
than international market. It is critical
for stakeholders in African dairy sector
to develop local and regional industry
while positioning themselves to seize the
numerous opportunities in this sector.
Milk production is a critical success factor in
dairy industry globally. A major contributor
to poor performance of the dairy industry
is the low and erratic milk production
particularly in the Eastern Africa region.
Some countries in Eastern Africa record
an average of 174 litres per cow per year
against a global average of over 7300
litres per cow per year. This presents many
opportunities in boosting production.
Over 80% of milk in is produced by
smallholder farmers in Eastern Africa. On
average between 40% - 80% of milk in
Africa is produced by farmers keeping less
than three cows. These farmers primarily
keep indigenous cows and rely on rain fed
fodder. As a result, milk supply is sufficient
for less than half of the year. When weather
condition is favorable, some countries in
East Africa experience severe milk gluts.
Milk quality is one of the other major
concerns in the African dairy sector. Due to
the dairying systems and practices in subSaharan Africa hygiene and proper raw milk
handling is inadequate. Transportation of
raw milk from the farm to bulking centers
(milk collection centers) and to processing