Dairy production barriers diagnosis in Southern Brazil

The purpose of this paper is to empirically test the dairy production barriers: lack of cooperation between the chain actors, milk quality deficiencies, rural exodus and, productivity limitations in southern Brazil, based on Santa Catarina’s dairy production ecosystem players perceptions.

From inquiry result analysis with 305 dairy sector experts, the authors performed statistical tests using the technique of factorial analysis and confirmatory factorial analysis to confirm and/or refute the dairy production barriers presented by Bonamigo et al. (2016b).

The results confirmed the presence of the barriers presented by Bonamigo et al. (2016b). The barrier lack of cooperation between the chain actors is presented as the biggest obstacle in the sector, according to the interviewees. The authors also found that rural exodus is the barrier with the smallest impact on the dairy sector development in relation to other barriers presented by Bonamigo et al. (2016b). The confirmation of these barriers in practice allows developing new studies to eliminate and/or mitigate these barriers of the dairy sector. Furthermore, the study might shed some light on dairy production activities and help improve management skills.

This study does not cover all the players that make up the dairy production ecosystem. It is limited only to the main players that are inserted in this sector. The authors observed the lack of data characterizing the dairy production system in Santa Catarina.

This study presents theoretical and practical contribution. By the confirmation that these barriers are present in the field, it is possible to direct new studies that seek to mitigate them and results in dairy production improvements. As for the practical contribution, the confirmation of those barriers can serve as a basis for the dairy sector decision-making actors, such as government, research institutions, and extension, producers, cooperatives, among others, and assist them in developing strategic actions that concern a cooperative way to develop the whole sector.