| dc.description.abstract | The study was conducted to assess the role of multistakeholder environment on the dairy
farmers’ cooperatives business development using Dairy farmers’ cooperatives in
southwestern Uganda, Mbarara district as a case study. It was guided by the following
objectives; assessing the role of different stakeholders that operate among the dairy farmers’
cooperatives businesses, examining the opportunity that comes with the multistakeholders to
the dairy farmers cooperative business development initiatives, examining the challenges of
multiple stakeholders on the dairy farmers’ cooperatives development initiatives and
suggesting strategies for enhancing the dairy farmers’ cooperative business.
A cross-sectional study design was adapted where a total sample size of 160 respondents was
reached which involved 135 dairy farmers for general interview and 25 key informants that
included 13 leaders/staff of the dairy cooperatives and 12 key stakeholders. The sample was
selected using stratified sampling for general interviews and purposive sampling for key
informants to generate quantitative and qualitative data respectively. The primary data was
collected using a structured questionnaire and interview guides while secondary data was
extracted from books, reports, publications, articles, and internet sites with relevant literature.
Data collected was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).
The study found that dairy farmers cooperatives engage multi-stakeholders who play a
significant role in development through; mobilization, training of leaders and farmers,
lobbying and advocacy, provision of credit cash grants as well as co-funding, supporting
production and productivity, facilitating business management, training staff, business
management, accounting packages and milk quality tests . Also a number of opportunities
were identified which include; education, training and exposure, linkages into the value
chain, organization publicity, capital assets acquisition, increased membership through farmer
mobilization, lobbying platform, farmers and leadership training, business management
systems and support. However a number of challenges affect multi-sectors environment such
as; time consuming for farmers and clash of ideas in cooperative management among others.
The study recommends the need to develop comprehensive strategic and business plans for
dairy farming, facilitating planning and resource allocation, priority setting and putting in
place good policies and operating guidelines especially in regard to leadership, human
resource capacity building, investment, and appropriation of resources. | en_US |
