Dynamiques des unités de production laitière dans le bassin d’approvisionnement de la ville de Ségou au Mali

The increase in fresh milk demand, associated to urban growth, presents an opportunity for developing cattle husbandry around towns. The primary objective of this study was to understand changes in dairy units in the suburban area of Segou, a medium-sized town in Mali, dominated by informal trade. Twenty heads of households were surveyed in an attempt to describe cattle husbandry and milk management in their farms from 1970 to 2005. Three types of dairy units were distinguished: a) mixed farmers with low milk production and milk management by women; b) mixed farmers with sustained milk production and milk management by the heads of households; and c) urban traders with cattle herds for milk production. Urban milk trade was a factor that led to the development of milk production through the extension of the milk collection area (type b), but it did not lead to new production techniques because of the lack of credits (types b and c) or of gender roles in milk management (type a). Nevertheless, cattle holders changed their practices by keeping lactating cows near compounds, increasing mobility for the rest of the herd, administering supplementation during the dry season, and storing crop residues, in response to the decrease in feed availability in rangelands