Dairy development and nutrition in Kilifi District, Kenya

The objectives of this study on dairy development in Kilifi District, Kenya, are, first, to assess the importance of - small-scale - intensive dairy farming as promoted by the Ministry of Livestock through the National Dairy Development Programme (DDP) compared with other types of small-scale dairy farming; second, to assess the importance of intensive dairy farming for the household economy and nutrition of the smallholder households concerned; and, third, to assess the importance of this economic activity for the nutrition of the local community. For the purpose of this study five groups of households were designated: DDP-farmers, independent dairy farmers (neighbours of DDP-farmers keeping cattle), livestock farmers (traditional farmers in the drier part of the province), DDP-customers (rural households regularly buying milk from DDP-farmers), and a comparison group drawn from the general population of farming households. Field surveys took place from May till July 1987. The data collected concern household characteristics, dairy farming and production, milk sales, household food consumption, milk consumption and nutritional status of preschool children