Context Specificity and Time Dependency in Classifying Sub-Saharan Africa Dairy Cattle Farmers for Targeted Extension Farm Advice: The Case of Uganda

Elizabeth Ahikiriza, Joshua Wesana, Xavier Gellynck, Guido Van Huylenbroeck and Ludwig Lauwers
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Elizabeth Ahikiriza: Department of Agricultural Economics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Joshua Wesana: Food and Markets Department, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham ME4 4TB, UK
Xavier Gellynck: Department of Agricultural Economics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Guido Van Huylenbroeck: Department of Agricultural Economics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Ludwig Lauwers: Department of Agricultural Economics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 9, 1-19

Abstract: Despite the huge potential for milk production, interventions to improve productivity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are barely based on specified farm classifications. This study aimed to develop robust and context-specific farm typologies to guide content of extension farm advice/services in Uganda. From a sample of 482 dairy farmers, we collected data on farmer socio-demographics, farm management practices, ownership of farm tools and facilities, willingness to pay for extension services, milk production, and marketing. Farm typologies were obtained based on principal component and cluster analyses. Thereby, of the three dairy production systems that emerged, small-scale, largely subsistence yet extensive and low productive farms were more prominent (82.6%). Farms that were classified as large-scale, less commercialized yet extensive with modest productive systems were more than the medium-scale commercial farms with intensive and highly productive systems. However, the later were considered to potentially transform dairy farming in Uganda. It was also predicted that the validity of our farm classification may persist until half of the farms have moved between clusters. The study gives new insights on dairy production systems in Uganda, which can be used to organize more targeted research on farmers’ extension needs for facilitating delivery of relevant and effective extension services and designing appropriate extension policies.

Keywords: dairy farms; farm typology; production systems; productivity; extension farm advice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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