The data used in the analyses of dairy productivity on smallholder farms were only a sample of all possible data. The sample data were obtained after much effort in retrieval and editing. This points to rather inadequate systems of data recording on the smallholder farms and of data storage at various government offices. If data recorded on the smallholder farms are to be used to monitor the progress of the dairy industry and as a source of information for implementing breeding programmes, a better system of cow and sire identification should be introduced at the centres where crossbred cows are produced, at rearing and steaming-up centres and on smallholder farms. A recording system that will reduce the amount of paper work involved should replace the present system. To minimise the effort involved in recording the data, smallholders should be provided with small weighing scales or measuring cylinders, and the extension officers who visit farmers each month should be provided with pocket calculators.
The information obtained from smallholder farms and government units revealed problems in reproductive performance among dairy cattle. Advanced age at first calving followed by long calving intervals were very common. Long days open periods were identified as a major cause of the long calving intervals. Feed deficiency appears to be a main causal factor in lengthening the reproductive cycle. The upgrading of the cattle on smallholder farms and increases in herd size have not been accompanied by increases in feed resources. Crossbred cows with more Friesian blood and larger feed requirements are managed in the same way as lower grade cattle in the herd. Herds have expanded beyond the recommended size as there is no market for the surplus calves. The decline in dairy productivity on both smallholder and government farms since 1979 may. be due in part to the effects of changes in the climate but a possible decline in the quality of management cannot be ruled out.
Any management strategy that will reduce feed requirements, especially on smallholder farms, could improve the situation and probably reverse the fall in dairy productivity. In this connection, an attractive option is to introduce smaller crossbred cows and to develop a system to absorb surplus calves from the smallholder farms. A crossbreeding programme based on the Friesian and the Malawi Zebu could replace the larger Friesian-'off-type' crossbred cows on the smallholder farms in the Southern Region.
