Malawi’s average per capita milk consumption is 7.9 kilos per person per year, one of the lowest in the world.  Consumption in neighboring Tanzania is 40.3 kilos per person, and consumption in Kenya, the East African leader, is 94.9 kilos per person (FAOSTAT, 2013).  However, consumption has steadily increased from 3.5 kilos per person in 2007, and it will continue to rise as Malawi’s economy grows and the population becomes more urban.

Small farmers can keep dairy cows at a low cost because they can be fed grasses, peanut husks, maize bran, and other vegetation.  Farmers also sell their milk to local buyers and processors, consuming some of their production, improving rural nutrition and the family’s income.

Malawi is divided into three regions, each with its highlands and lowlands. There are 11,000 dairy farmers in the Southern Region, 7,000 in the Central Region, and 2,000 in the Northern Region. SID’s project is located in the Central Region, where dairy farmers have more land for producing fodder than in the Southern Region.

Dairy farmers are poor because their cows produce 9 or 10 liters per cow per day when they can produce 20.  Farmers need to improve their growing and mixing of fodder for better year-round feeding.  Artificial insemination is an effective way to improve the breed and productivity of the cows, but more inseminators need to be trained.  Processors reject as much as 17% of their milk because of high amounts of bacteria; farmers must wash their hands, pails, and the cows’ udders before milking.  Farmers earn $200 to $300 per year when they could earn $700.

THE GENERAL POPULATION

The project began in September 2023 when farmers met in workshops throughout the region and defined 22 practices they needed to adopt in order to graduate from poverty with fresh milk.  They defined 12 practices for increasing productivity through better feeding, 2 through better breeding, and 5 through better animal health, 3 for increasing the quality and price of the milk, 3 for conserving soils and water, and 4 for making better business decisions.

We are currently evaluating the general population’s knowledge and adoption of the practices, and the results will be available shortly.

THE LEADER VILLAGES

We are also evaluating the income increases in the leader villages. In the first year, we provided Lukina seeds and Rhodes grass to improve the cows’ feeding. We also doubled the number of Artificial Insemination technicians and trained farmers on crucial animal health practices.

THE WOMEN

We are also starting the women’s program.