The plight of dairy farmers and their cows
Publication date: 2 December 2021
Abstract
Subject area
Entrepreneurship, Small Business, Small-scale Dairy Farmers
Study level/applicability
This case is appropriate for undergraduate final year/senior as well as graduate-level programme students.
Case overview
This case explores the life of Saravanan, a small-scale dairy farmer in Malaysia. He inherited the business from his father. Small-scale farmers in Malaysia own farms with 30 (or fewer) milking cows. Over the years, milk consumption had been on the rise, but production was less than promising. Besides low-quality milk, Saravanan often experienced issues of low milk yield. Selling fresh milk as his only source of income and the milk collection centre as his sole marketing channel, Saravanan was caught in a financially tight situation when product diversification and marketing initiatives were limited. Saravanan’s problems began with rejected fresh milk, which landed him with zero income for the day. This issue was detected when the authorities identified a few contaminated batches of milk during a site visit. The problem compounded when Saravanan had to settle three months’ debt with the feed supplier on the same day. Saravanan’s predicament echoed the plight faced by small-scale farmers in Malaysia. After managing the farm for more than 30 years, Saravanan had plans to pass it to his son, Mugunthan. However, doubts about the sustainability of the business remained. Would Mugunthan suffer the same dire fate? Would he be able to find a way out? Based on the problem-solving framework, the case attempts to identify and assess the problems faced by small-scale dairy farmers in Malaysia, and at the same time, to suggest solutions that will ensure the sustainability of their business.
Expected learning outcomes
After attempting the case, students should learn to empathise with the hardship small-scale dairy farmers endure in the pursuit of their businesses, analyse issues and determine the root causes of the problems faced by small-scale dairy farmers in Malaysia based on the problem-solving framework, generate and justify sustainable solutions to solve the problems faced by these dairy farmers and present the case, discuss and work in teams, and critically offer sustainable solutions based on framework and theories.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only.
Subject code
CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Both the authors would like to acknowledge the farmer and his family for providing access for them to learn more about small-scare farming. The opportunity to work in such meaningful project is an unforgettable, enriching and a lifetime experience.The present study/case was funded in parts by Pearson Management Services Ltd (Challenge Fund Grant) and The Indian Graduates Association of Universiti Putra Malaysia (Grant No.: NIRE216410). Disclaimer. This case is written solely for educational purposes and is not intended to represent successful or unsuccessful managerial decision-making. The authors may have disguised names; financial and other recognisable information to protect confidentiality.
The present study/case was funded in parts by Pearson Management Services Ltd (Challenge Fund Grant) and The Indian Graduates Association of Universiti Putra Malaysia (Grant No.: NIRE216410).
Citation
Suntharalingam, C. and Tee, K.K. (2021), "The plight of dairy farmers and their cows", , Vol. 11 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/EEMCS-09-2020-0349
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited Bingley, United Kingdom
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited