dc.contributor.author | Murithi, FM | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2013-05-11T08:54:53Z | |
dc.date.available | 2013-05-11T08:54:53Z | |
dc.date.issued | 1990-02 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Muriithi, F.M(1990). Efficiency of resource use in smallholder milk production: the case of Meru central dairy farmers, Kenya | en |
dc.identifier.uri | http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/21808 | |
dc.description | Msc-Thesis | en |
dc.description.abstract | This study was motivated by the need to find means
of increasing milk supply in Kenya in order to meet an
expected rise in demand. The study was concerned with
the efficiency of resource use in smallholder milk
productlon. The maJor objective of the study was to
determine whether tnere are possibilities of increasing
milk production through re-allocation of the
resources used in milk production~ The problems
encountered by farmers involved in milk production were
also examined.
The data used in the study were collected from 60
smallholders who are members of five Dairy Co-operative
Societies which are affiliated to the Meru Central
Farmers Co-operative Union.
A Cobb-Douglas milk production function was fitted
using the inputs used in milk production. The results
showed that concentratas significantly influenced milk
yields.
The test for efficiency of resource use revealed
that there was inefficiency in the use concentrates.
Profit maximization I~equires that the marginal value
product of an input be equated to the price. If this
condition is fulfilled in the study area with respect
to concentrates, the average milk YleLo per animal per
year would increase by 73% above the current levels.
An important conclusion of the study is that there
could be substantial in milk output and
consequently gains in farm profits if the amount of
concentrates fed to the animals is increased above the
cur-r-errt level s.
It is recommended that:-
(i ) effot'ts be intensified to educate
the benefits of inct~eased
feeding of concentt'ates to the
(i i )
animals,
constraints which contribute to the
unavailability of concentt'ates when
farmers need them be removed,
(iii) farmers be educated on how they
can the excess animal feeds
which is p r-ociuc ed the wet
season to feed the animals during the
(iv) be
and
educated on how best
season,
they can utilize the farm by-products
while ~hey are of high nutrition value
to feed the animals. | en |
dc.description.sponsorship | University of Nairobi | en |
dc.language.iso | en | en |
dc.subject | Resource Use | en |
dc.subject | Smallholder milk production | en |
dc.subject | Meru central | en |
dc.subject | Dairy farmers | en |
dc.subject | Kenya | en |
dc.title | Efficiency of resource use in smallholder milk production: the case of Meru central dairy farmers, Kenya | en |
dc.type | Thesis | en |
local.publisher | Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nairobi, Kenya | en |