Evaluation of the productivity of crossbred dairy cattle on smallholder and government farms in the Republic of Malawi

The performance of Friesian-"off-type", Friesian-Malawi Zebu, and pure-Friesian cattle on smallholdings and government stations was also evaluated. It was found that advanced age at first calving and long calving intervals were common both on smallholdings and on government stations; this was believed to be due to inadequate levels of feeding. Feed resources have not increased with the introduction of improved breeds of cattle and larger herds, and improved and local cattle are kept under the same management conditions on smallholdings. Productivity of the cattle has been decreasing since 1979, possibly due to climatic factors, but poor management was not ruled out. It was found that Friesian-Malawi Zebu crosses performed at the same level as the larger Friesian-"off-type" crosses, and the authors believe that the use of the Malawi Zebu in producing crossbred cattle could lead to increased milk production, particularly in areas where feed is in short supply. (Author abstract)