The development of dairying in Malawi originated with estate crop farmers before independence in 1964. These farmers kept mainly Jersey, Ayrshire and Friesian cattle. Milk produced was used at the estates and in nearby communities. Smallholder dairying is relatively new in Malawi and was started by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1971.
Prior to the establishment of smallholder dairying, research was conducted at the Chitedze Agricultural Research Station on the improvement of indigenous cattle, the Malawi Zebu, for the purpose of producing milk. After a series of selection trials, the results indicated that the genetic potential for the Malawi Zebu was about 2 litres per cow per day, which is too little to provide the basis for a dairy industry. Further research was conducted into introducing Friesian blood into the Malawi Zebu to combine the high milk-producing ability of the Friesian and the adaptation to the local environment of the Malawi Zebu. Other related activities such as forage productivity and management regimes were also investigated at Chitedze.
Another milestone in the development of smallholder dairying in Malawi was the setting up of a cattle multiplication unit in Bwemba to complement the activities at Mikolongwe. These two centres were established to produce crossbred cows for distribution to farmers. The Veterinary Department provided services to smallholder farmers in the form of crossbred cows, artificial insemination and drugs. Extension services include training farmers in all aspects of dairy husbandry including hand milking and heat detection. Another government organization which played a role in the development of dairying is Malawi Milk Marketing which is responsible for collecting milk at the various milk centres and for processing and distribution of milk.
The emphasis in this report is on the evaluation of reproductive and productive performance of the crossbred cows found most commonly on smallholder farms in the Southern Region of Malawi. The performance of various crossbred cows at Bwemba, Tuchila (near Mikolongwe) and at Chitedze Research Station, as well as that of pure-Friesian cows at Mikolongwe, is also evaluated.
The first section of this report presents analyses of productive and reproductive traits of crossbred cows on smallholder farms. The second section deals with the body weight changes of crossbred female calves at Chizombezi and the general performance of crossbred cows at Tuchila, the third station that provides crossbred cows to smallholder farmers Section three concerns the performance of crossbred and pure-Friesian cows at Bwemba and Chitedze. Results from the analysis of reproductive and productive traits on the pure-Friesian herd at Mikolongwe are presented in section four.
In the final section an attempt is made to tie together the performances of the various crosses and pure Friesians on smallholder farms and at the multiplication and research centres.
