Constraints Perceived by Dairy Farmers in the Adoption of Milk Value Addition Practices in Kanpur Dehat District of Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Milk value addition has emerged as an effective approach to enhancing farmers' income, improving product quality and reducing post-harvest losses in the dairy sector. However, the adoption of value addition practices by dairy farmers is often constrained by technical, marketing, economic and infrastructural factors. Therefore, the present study was conducted to identify the major constraints perceived by dairy farmers in adopting milk value addition practices in Kanpur Dehat district of Uttar Pradesh. An ex post facto research design was employed. A total of 120 dairy farmers were selected through multistage random sampling from the Rajpur and Akbarpur development blocks. Primary data were collected using a structured, pre-tested interview schedule, and the constraints were categorised into technical, marketing, economic and infrastructural dimensions. The data were analysed using the Mean Percent Score (MPS) and rank-order techniques. The findings revealed that lack of scientific knowledge regarding quality control and hygienic practices (67.92 MPS), inadequate marketing knowledge (64.58 MPS), the high investment required for infrastructure and processing equipment (69.17 MPS), and irregular availability of LPG/fuel for processing activities (67.08 MPS) were the major constraints perceived by respondents. Overall, inadequate technical expertise, weak market linkages, financial limitations and insufficient processing infrastructure were identified as the principal barriers affecting adoption. The study indicates the importance of scientific training, improved extension services, marketing support, financial assistance and infrastructure development for promoting value addition and improving the profitability and sustainability of dairy farming.