Structural and functional characterization of dairy farms in the west Cameroon highlands: Case of the western region

Abstract

A survey was conducted in 85 cattle farms in the West Cameroon Highlands. The objective was to analyze the structural and functional characteristics in order to better understand the existing dairy production system in the region and to identify the constraints of the system. The results show that individual dairy farms are dominant (97.64%). The management of most farms (58%) is attributed to agricultural technicians. The semi-intensive system is the most common (65.9%), practiced by small-scale dairy farmers with a herd of imported Holstein Friesian breeds of two to four animals. 98.82% of the farms have a poor hygiene rating and only 1.17% are rated as average. 75% of the region's milk comes from Holstein Friesian breeds. Milk performance remains low (1.66±0.4 liters/day/cow) in the local Bos indicus breeds, although they are more numerous. The majority of the milk produced is marketed in short circuits (72.94% of farms). Breeding behavior has a significant influence (p