Milk Marketing Channels and Smallholder farmer motivation to Produce at Chepkorio Division, Elgeyo-Marakwet County.

##article.abstract##

Dairy farming in high potential rural setups is an important economic activity involving about 58% of the households.  Milk as a source of food and income has the capacity to address the twin aim of reducing hunger and poverty. The objectives of the current study were to determine the type of marketing channel, the constraints faced by small scale dairy farmers while marketing and reasons for their motivation to produce milk. The study was undertaken in Chepkorio division, Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya, with a population of 67,042 people. The Sample size was fifty farmers selected randomly within five sub-locations. Systematic random sampling procedure of small scale dairy farmers was used to select farmers for interview. The study found that in spite of the emergence of modern milk marketing channels, farmers preferred to use informal milk marketing chain. Farmers sold 50% of their milk to middlemen, while hotels took 12% and formal channel through dairy cooling plant took 38%.  Most farmers experienced challenges while marketing their milk including low milk prices, poor road network and low milk production level on the farm. Majority of the farmers grew and conserved feeds for future use in form of hay attended farm field days and practiced artificial insemination services. These were good indicators that they were motivated to continue practicing dairy farming. However, low milk prices and herd upgrade challenges including poor animal breeds, shortage of feeds were de-motivating factors and recommendations were made to curb these problems.