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Abstract
The dairy sector is an important component of rural economies in the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), providing vital employment and
income, in an environment of weak social security and scarce job opportunities.
Dairy farming in the CIS encompasses a wide diversity of farms: from 1 and 2 cow
units, selling via village collecting stations, which provide an important subsidiary
income for vulnerable groups, particularly the elderly, up to ‘super-large’ corporate
farms, some of which have witnessed significant recent investment and control
thousands of hectares. The Supporting the International Development of CIS
Agriculture (SIDCISA) project has sought to understand the Supply Chain
Relationships (SCR) of this diverse range of commercial milk producers. In
particular we seek to analyse the degree of satisfaction with SCR and analyse the
linkages between procurement practices and satisfaction, growth and investment.
As far as we are aware this is the first comprehensive, cross-national survey of
dairy farming in the CIS. This paper presents an overview of key findings from
survey work conducted in Armenia, Moldova and the Dnepropetrovsk region of
Ukraine. A more detailed presentation of the context of the study and results are
available elsewhere.