Description of variables used in the study
| Variable | Description | Measurement | Expected sign |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dependent variable | |||
| MHI | Milk hygiene index | Index (0–100) | |
| Independent variables | |||
| PO | Membership to producer organization | Binary | + |
| AGE | Age of household head | Continuous | ± |
| EDUC | Number of years of formal schooling | Continuous | + |
| GND | Gender of household head | Binary | ± |
| HHSZ | Composition of the household | Continuous | ± |
| MRTS | Marital status | Binary | ± |
| FMSZ | Size of the farm allocated to fodder | Continuous | + |
| COWN | Cow ownership | Categorical | ± |
| CRT | Access to credit | Likert | + |
| TRN | Formal training on MHS | Binary | + |
| INSP | Inspection on MHS | Binary | + |
| DIST | Kilometres to the nearest town | Continuous | − |
Summary results of percentages of farmers who reported having received milk hygiene training over a three-year period
| Description of variables | Pooled (N = 282) | Non-members (n = 100) | Members (n = 182) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milk hygiene training (%) | 64.54 | 37.00 | 79.67 | 0.000* |
| Source of training (%) | ||||
| Producer organization | 78.02 | 67.57 | 80.69 | 0.085* |
| Government extension officer | 14.84 | 29.73 | 11.03 | 0.004*** |
| NGO | 8.79 | 2.70 | 10.34 | 0.143 |
| Input dealer | 2.20 | 5.41 | 1.38 | 0.136 |
| Milk processor | 15.93 | 13.51 | 16.55 | 0.652 |
| Media | 4.40 | 2.70 | 4.83 | 0.574 |
| On-farm hygiene inspection (%) | 21.99 | 9.00 | 29.12 | 0.000*** |
Poisson coefficient estimates of the influence of dairy producer organization membership on the farm-level implementation of milk hygiene strategies
| Variable | Coef. | IRR | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| PO membership (1 = yes, 0 = otherwise) | 0.072 (0.012) | 1.074 (0.013) | 0.000*** |
| Sex of household head | −0.008 (0.010) | 0.992 (0.010) | 0.438 |
| Marital status | 0.012 (0.017) | 1.012 (0.017) | 0.477 |
| Log of milk per cow | 0.014 (0.009) | 1.014 (0.009) | 0.123 |
| Cow ownership | 0.003 (0.011) | 1.003 (0.011) | 0.779 |
| Total farm size | 0.001 (0.000) | 1.001 (0.000) | 0.000*** |
| Price per unit of milk | 0.001 (0.004) | 1.001 (0.004) | 0.836 |
| Hours spent on dairy farming activities | 0.006 (0.002) | 1.007 (0.002) | 0.001*** |
| Training in milk hygiene strategies | 0.010 (0.012) | 1.010 (0.012) | 0.382 |
| Distance to nearest town | −0.001 (0.001) | 0.999 (0.001) | 0.062* |
| Constant | 2.954 (0.135) | 19.192 (2.584) | 0.000 |
j_j_jard_2024_01753_tabapp_001
| Variable | VIF | 1/VIF |
|---|---|---|
| PO membership | 1.43 | 0.700507 |
| Cow ownership | 1.40 | 0.714100 |
| Sex of household head | 1.38 | 0.725604 |
| Training_hygiene | 1.33 | 0.752778 |
| Hours spent on dairy activities | 1.29 | 0.777644 |
| Milk per cow | 1.16 | 0.861249 |
| Distance to the nearest town | 1.13 | 0.883774 |
| Milk price | 1.07 | 0.930573 |
| Marital status | 1.05 | 0.950593 |
| Total farm size | 1.04 | 0.962173 |
| Mean VIF | 1.23 | |
Comparisons of percentages of farmers implementing milk hygiene strategies by status of membership in dairy producer organizations
| Practice | Pooled (N = 282) | Non-members (n = 100) | Members (n = 182) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal and animal health | ||||
| Milkers do not milk when sick | 72.37 | 63.70 | 77.13 | 0.000*** |
| Milked cows free of diseases | 90.32 | 87.78 | 91.74 | 0.097* |
| Cows with mastitis milk last and milk discarded | 91.70 | 90.99 | 92.09 | 0.798 |
| Milk from cows on antibiotics not consumed | 97.54 | 97.73 | 97.44 | 0.798 |
| Mastitis checking prior to milking | 77.65 | 76.49 | 78.28 | 0.649 |
| Foremilk from each teat was examined and abnormal milk discarded | 74.58 | 71.53 | 76.26 | 0.268 |
| Personal hygiene | ||||
| Wash hands with soap before initiating milking | 82.48 | 79.52 | 84.10 | 0.087* |
| Clean dry cloth used to dry hand after washing | 86.70 | 86.13 | 87.02 | 0.768 |
| Udder hygiene | ||||
| Cow udder and teats washed before milking | 95.40 | 96.11 | 95.01 | 0.403 |
| Teats wiped with clean towel after washing | 87.73 | 87.77 | 87.70 | 0.981 |
| Use one towel per cow | 77.06 | 77.10 | 78.70 | 0.278 |
| Fast but gentle milking without interruptions | 94.17 | 94.58 | 93.95 | 0.641 |
| Stripping to get last drop out of the udder | 94.28 | 93.56 | 94.68 | 0.504 |
| Teats sprayed with antiseptic after milking | 42.20 | 33.19 | 47.15 | 0.006*** |
| Equipment hygiene | ||||
| Cloth/strainer cleaned after use | 92.83 | 88.42 | 95.25 | 0.004*** |
| Cloth/strainer disinfected after use | 64.58 | 55.69 | 69.46 | 0.008*** |
| Equipment made from approved material | 79.88 | 65.51 | 87.77 | 0.000*** |
| Equipment cleaned immediately after use | 94.75 | 93.72 | 95.31 | 0.294 |
| Milk vessels/sterilized after cleaning | 82.79 | 80.08 | 84.28 | 0.257 |
| Vessels/equipment put upside down to dry | 91.13 | 88.38 | 92.65 | 0.069* |
| Post-milking milk handling and storage | ||||
| Immediate filtering of milk after milking | 93.91 | 89.55 | 96.31 | 0.003*** |
| Milk is stored in clean sealed containers | 92.39 | 92.57 | 92.29 | 0.883 |
| Milk transported within2 hours of milking | 92.46 | 90.46 | 93.57 | 0.156 |
| Cooling up to 10°C when stored for > 2 hours | 68.33 | 44.14 | 81..63 | 0.000*** |
| Workspace hygiene | ||||
| Concrete floor of milking parlour | 72.89 | 55.08 | 82.68 | 0.000*** |
| Thorough cleaning of milking area | 65.70 | 45.52 | 76.80 | 0.000*** |