Impacts of covid-19 measures on supply and distribution of milk on small-scale processors in Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, and Nyandarua Counties, Kenya

COVID-19 poses serious threats to humanity and the world’s economy, leading to disruptions of the food supply chain. The dairy processing industry was highly affected because of the perishability of its products and time-sensitivity of both the supply and distribution chain. The study therefore, aimed to assess the effects of COVID-19 containment measures on the supply and distribution of small-scale dairy processors in Nakuru, Nyandarua, and Uasin-Gishu counties, Kenya. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was used, where a total of 26 small-scale mini-dairies and cottages from the registered and licensed list provided by the Kenya Dairy Board were interviewed using semi-structured questions. Results showed that the primary processed dairy product was pasteurized milk (48%) followed by fermented milk and yoghurt (32%). Before and during COVID-19, there was a significant reduction in the quantity of milk processed by small-scale dairy companies (P<0.05), as well as in the number of employees (P<0.05) causing an increase in the company's processing costs and modification of strategies to continue daily milk collection and distribution. Therefore, policies and measures should occasionally be tightened or loosened depending on the spread of the virus to guarantee the resilience of the dairy supply and distribution chain during pandemic outbreaks.


INTRODUCTION
In Kenya, the dairy industry contributes about 14% GDP to the agriculture sector and 4% to the national GDP (KNBS, 2019;Kurgat et al., 2023).It is a significant source of income as well as employment with its activities from production, and processing to retail (Meseret et al., 2021).Kenya has a diverse dairy sector comprising both large scale commercial processors and small-scale processors who operate at the grassroots level, primarily sourcing milk from small-holder farmers.The dairy industry however faces a lot of challenges limiting its expansion.
In 2020, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic brought yet another challenge, not as a threat to humanity causing a lot of deaths but also to economies (Galanakis et al., 2020).The first outbreak in Kenya was reported on March 13th, 2020.The rapid spread of the virus led the government like that of most countries to implement strict measures to reduce the spread of the virus disease (Odhong et al., 2020).These measures included the border closures, travel bans, restrictions on public gatherings, school closures, market closures, and dark to dawn curfews were among the measures implemented, with agricultural products allowed to be transported during the day.Although such measures decreased disease spread, they crippled the economy and impacted a wide range of industries and business enterprises (Mutua et al., 2021).According to the Kenya Dairy Board, the country had witnessed substantial growth over the year, driven by increased demand and changing consumer preferences (KDB, 2021).In 2020, the country produced approximately, 5.2 billion litres of milk with an annual growth rate of around 4%.However, from the onset of the pandemic, GDP fell by 5.7% compared to its 4.9% growth before March 2020 (KNBS, 2020).The agriculture sector, on the other hand, suffered 3 million USD during the lockdowns despite its one-third contribution to the national GDP and it is being classified as an essential service and the agricultural products transported during the day (Mutua et al., 2021) with the dairy industry particularly, suffering a 63.4 million litres in January to 40.2 million litres in June marketed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The global supply chain was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.In China for instance, reports show that the most affected sub-sector of agriculture was dairy due to dairy products being highly perishable and their reliability on a supply chain that is dependent on time (Wang et al., 2020).Due to the pandemic and associated measures such as lockdowns, transportation restrictions and market closures (Ganesh- Kumar et al., 2020), small dairies could not sell their milk even at lower prices thus resulting in them dumping the milk (Acosta et al., 2021).Furthermore, the lockdowns and reduced mobility impacted milk collection and processing, leading to decreased production and increased wastage (Huang et al., 2021).In India, the closure of restaurants and institutions, a major market for dairy products, severely affected demand and led to surplus milk (Kumar et al., 2021).Similarly, in Romania, dairy processors faced challenges in procuring raw milk due to transportation restrictions (Bhat et al., 2022).Similarly in Canada and the United Kingdom, Weersink et al., (2021), reported that small dairy companies had to dump their milk because of the sharp decrease in dairy demand.In the USA, the closure of schools and a shift to remote learning affected the demand for milk and dairy products in the institutional sector (Acosta et al., 2021).In Ethiopia, there was a reduction in the volume of milk sold to processors due to fear that the disease could be transmitted via contaminated milk (Meseret et al., 2021), although COVID-19 is not transmitted through food or packaging materials.Additionally, in Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Madagascar milk supply was hindered due to travel restrictions for dairy processors especially smallscale (Vall et al., 2021).Similarly (Barrett, 2020) described that the dairy value chain was constrained from operating to its full potential due to disruptions in the food systems.
Therefore, the objective of this research was to find out how the COVID-19 pandemic, in conjunction with strict measures, has directly or indirectly affected the dairy processing industry, and to aid in developing policy recommendations and industrial approaches that will improve the dairy industry's overall resilience to future pandemics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
In this research work, the authors attempt to comprehensively understand how the COVID-19 pandemic measures affected the small-scale dairy processors in their supply and distribution of milk.Our research framework was as follows: First, we obtained a certificate of ethical clearance from NACOSTI.The Kenya Dairy Board then provided us with a list of existing dairy processors in the featured counties.We then conducted semi-structured interviews with each dairy processor's management teams about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their operations, and coded the collected data for analysis, interpretation, and visualization.We then discussed how the supply and distribution of small-scale dairy processors was influenced before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.Afterwards that, we proposed relevant policy recommendations and improvements to be implemented to protect dairy processors in the event of future unprecedented pandemics.

Study area
The counties, (Nakuru and Uasin Gishu) in the old Rift Valley Province and Nyandarua in the old Central Province are situated in the highlands, where dairy-related activities-including production, processing, and consumption are most dominant (Mogotu et al., 2022;Otieno et al., 2020).Figure 1 shows the map of the study.

Uasin Gishu County
Uasin Gishu County is geologically located between longitudes 34° 50‖ to the East and 35° 37‖ to the West and latitudes 0° 03‖ to the South and 0° 55‖ to the North.The county is situated in the Midwest of Kenya's Rift Valley some 330 km North West of Nairobi.It borders Kericho County to the South, Nandi County to the South West, Bungoma County to the West, Trans Nzoia to the North, Elgeyo-Marakwet to the East, and Baringo County to the South East (Kurgat et al., 2019)The county is located on a plateau covering an area of 3345.2Sq.Km with temperatures ranging from a minimum of 8.4 o C to a maximum of 27 o C. Uasin Gishu County has two rainy seasons with average rainfall from 900 mm to 1,200 mm per annum.The cool temperate climate favours mixed farming including maize, wheat, beef, and dairy farming and processing being dominant.

Nyandarua County
Nyandarua County is situated on coordinates latitude:0°32' 59.99" North and longitude:36°36' 59.99" East bordering Laikipia County to  ,304 Sq.km (Muia et al., 2011).It falls within the central highlands with an altitude range of 2350 and 3000 meters above sea level with a mean temperature of 22 °C.The mean annual rainfall in the county is between 1000 mm and 2000 mm, occurring in two seasons.The long rains season occurs between March and June and the short rains season between October and December, agriculture is the main economic activity in the County with dairy production being dominant (Moturi et al., 2015).

Nakuru County
Nakuru County is situated in the Rift Valley, covering an area of 7,235.3Sq. km.It is located between longitudes 35° 28‖ and 35° 36‖ and latitudes 0° 12‖ and 1° 10‖ South, lying about 2100 m above sea level.Nakuru borders eight other counties, namely Kericho and Bomet to the west, Koibatek and Laikipia to the north, Nyandarua to the east, Narok to the southwest, and Kajiado and Kiambu to the south.The county's economic foundation is agriculture, which is dominated by large-scale agricultural, horticulture, and dairy farming and processing.

Study design
The study involved a cross-section design whereby data was collected once at a specific point in time from April to June 2022.

Sampling of dairy processing companies
The mixed sampling technique was used, and the areas (Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, and Nyandarua counties) and the size of the processors (mini-dairies and cottage processors) were purposively selected.Then the processors were retrieved from the registered and licensed list from the Dairy Board of Kenya located in the counties.A total of 26 small-scale mini-dairies and cottages were available for the study whereby in Nakuru 8 out of 10 were selected, in Nyandarua 9 out of 11 were selected and in Uasin Gishu 9 out of 10 were sampled for the study.

Data collection
Face-to-face interviews were conducted with the managers of the small-scale dairy companies using two-part semi-structured openended and closed-ended questions.The first section of the Source: Authors questions comprised the general information including demographic characteristics such as gender, education level, age, and the general characteristics of the processing company involving with the policy documentation used to verify food safety performance, number of employees, and training on the food safety system in place in the plant.Whereas the second section inquired about the supply and distribution chain before and during COVID-19

Data management and analysis
The collected data were coded and then analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).Chi-square, paired comparison t-test, and descriptive statistical analysis were performed to obtain frequencies, percentages, and p-values.Finally, they were organized in tables.

Ethical consideration
A research permit was sought from the Vice Chancellor of Sokoine University of Agriculture.A research clearance permit and letter of authority were acquired from National Commission for Science, Technology, and Innovation (NACOSTI) and the Kenya Dairy Board to be used for data collecting.The respondents' disclosures of their personal information were kept completely confidential.This was accomplished by utilizing the data without specifically specifying the individuals from whom it was acquired.

Characteristics of the small-scale processing companies (mini-dairies and cottages)
From the 26 mini-dairies and cottages that participated in the study, it was found that majority of managers of the processing plants were male (84%) as compared to female (16%) aged between 30-45 years (52%) with 84% having a tertiary education level (that is 48% diploma and 36% degree) in Table 1.Additionally, the number of persons employed in the mini-dairies and cottages ranged from 1-10 staff members all of whom are reported to have received training on the quality management system in use at the company which all the twenty-six (26) mini-dairies and cottages reported the use of the GMP in their daily operations while (8) additionally Source: Authors implemented HACCP in their quality management system.
With respect to education level, majority (diploma 48%; University 36%) of the managers had tertiary education level.Through tertiary training, the managers are trained in various aspects related to quality management and processing.The knowledge is used to improve the handling and processing of milk and milk products in their respective companies.
The majority (65%) of processors were micro-scale enterprises with less than 10 employees.This is according to the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development (2020) categorisation, all companies having less than 10 employees are termed micro-enterprises; 10-49 employees are known as small enterprises whereas those with 50-99 are medium-sized enterprises.
As illustrated in Figure 2, the main products processed by the mini-dairies and cottages are pasteurised milk (45%) and fermented products (yoghurt 27% and fermented milk 22%).Compared to large-scale processing companies, mini dairies, and cottages have limited resources and technology to process high-tech products (Yilma and Tadesse, 2018) such as milk powder, ice cream, ghee, and butter.Similarly, previous studies in the Kenyan dairy industry showed that mini-dairies are more involved with the processing of pasteurised fresh milk (99.1%) and fermented milk (88%) which use simple equipment and technologies (Oderowanga et al., 2009).

Influence of COVID-19 containment measures on the supply chain of milk and milk products
Before COVID-19, the quantity of milk received by majority of the processing companies (57%) was less or equal to 4000 litres of milk.The number of companies processing less than 4000 litres increased to 20 (77%) during COVID-19 control measures.This indicates that before COVID-19, there were few companies processing ≤4000 litres of milk which increased by 20% during the pandemic.Likewise, companies processing between 4000 and 8000 litres decreased as they received less amount of milk and consequently were downgraded to those receiving ≤4000 litres (Table 2).This shows that during the pandemic, companies received less amount of milk than before COVID-19 measures.This could be due to low production of milk during the pandemic or disruption of the supply chains.Although farmers could milk more milk, restrictions could have barred them to sell their milk.Moreover, companies could fail to timely collect the milk from collection centres which results in spoilage of milk.For companies that depended on individual farmer supplies could have suffered the most due to restriction of movement during the pandemic as among the disease containment measures.
In addition, as a result of the government's order that people stay at home to curb the spread of the virus, milk processors in Pakistan (Hussain et al., 2020) complained of low milk supply received in the companies and India (Biswal et al., 2020), truck drivers were reported to dump milk as it spoiled due to the delay of milk delivery to processing plants.
Similarly, this occurred in USA (Wang et al., 2020;Wolf et al., 2021) and Nepal (Poudel et al., 2020).Additionally, in Bangladesh, about 27000 tons of milk was spoiled on a daily basis (Ahmed et al., 2021).Contrary to that, milk processors in Kirène factory, Senegal, complained of receiving excess quantity of milk resulting from milk farmers being unable to sell their milk in neighbouring markets, where consumers purchase raw milk.Whereas in -Fatick‖ factory, suspension of milk collection and processing was adopted due to traffic bans (Vall et al., 2021).
As for the quantity of milk and the number of distributors of milk (Table 3), in overall there was a significant difference (P<0.05) in the average quantity of milk (litres) supplied among the companies before and during COVID-19.On average, the mini-dairies were receiving 2520 Litres/day before COVID-19, which decreased to 1545 litres/day during COVID-19.Therefore, in general, the mean quantity of milk decreased by 42%.
Furthermore, according to (Ellison and Kalaitzandonakes, 2020) there was limited processing capacity and cold storage resulting in difficulty in processing the raw milk into other products such as cheese.Similarly in Latvia, since there was an increase in the price of raw milk, there was a reduced quantity of milk being processed by the processing companies (Pilvere et al., 2021).The management of the flow of goods and services including all processes that transform raw materials into final products, distribution, and transportation serves as the last stage to reach final products hence forward movements (Chitrakar et al., 2021).Hence, the capacity of milk supply to the company could directly reflect on the quantity of milk distributed.

Influence of COVID-19 containment measures on the number of employees and distributors of milk and milk products
The study revealed that on average, there were eight and six employees working in the processing company before and during COVID-19 respectively (Table 4) with a significant difference (P<0.05) in the number of employees before and during COVID-19.This indicated a 25% negative decrease.Whereas as for, the number of distributors during COVID-19 the mean number of distributors decreased by -40% from an average of 5 to 3 distributors.On the contrary, there was no significant difference (P>0.05) in the number of distributors before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the agriculture sector was regarded as an essential service to both the world's and national economies because it serves as a prime factor to reduce food security issues.Food sectors had to implement non-pharmaceutical measures to ensure they safeguard the health of all personnel.The food processing sector was spotted as a hotspot due to enclosed spaces for working during processing.Dairy products are one example of a labour-intensive food that needs to be prepared swiftly to avoid spoilage before it gets to its final destination or the processing facility.According to Aday and Aday (2020), processing was reduced, suspended, or temporarily discontinued in many factories as a result of the employees who were confirmed to be COVID-19 positive and who were reluctant to report to work because they believed they would become ill at work.On the other hand, the difficulty in maintaining social distance within the processing areas, where workers stand side by side, as well as the loud talking or shouting due to noisy environments, which results in the release of air droplets, are just a few of the reasons (Stewart et al., 2020), that food processing plants serve as potential hot spots for such outbreaks.
For COVID-19, this is the primary transmission path.Additionally, workers may use public transit to travel to their places of employment, and the majority make low salaries to afford insurance costs.For example, the USA and Canada depend on Mexican workers for their agriculture industries, covering one-third of such jobs.More than 60,000 Mexican seasonal workers enter Canada for agro-industries.The cross-border restriction of Mexican labours to the USA and Canada affected the dairy processing industries (Richards and Rickard, 2020).The Labour shortage was also seen in India (Yadav and Agarwal, 2021), Bangladesh (Zabir et al., 2021), and Japan (Zhang, 2021) due to travel restrictions.According to Luckstead et al. (2021), the rapid spread of the COVID-19 disease laid off many infected workers, resulting in difficulties with reduced production and processing capacity and several dairy plants closing down, disrupting the food supply chain, despite efforts to socially isolate the necessary agricultural workers, such as those in the dairy sub-sector.In regards to the number of distributors (Table 5), there was no significance difference (p>0.05) in the number of distributors before and during COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.This indicates that there was no significant drop in the number of distributors working throughout the COVID-19 outbreak and implemented measures to curb the spread of the disease since agricultural product transportation was regarded as an essential service.This was in contrast to a research conducted in France, which indicated a 60% decrease in the usage of trucks for food distribution during COVID-19 restrictions (Bakalis et al., 2020;Mouloudj et al., 2020).Moreover, studies in USA and China observed that the dairy industry was heavily affected by disruption and difficulties in moving milk within the supply chain (Wang et al., 2020).This resulted in discarding the milk or spoilage hence losses.In Canada, processing facilities were closed down due to low supply of milk thus milk farmers were forced to dump their fresh milk whereas in Bangladesh, the country suffered a loss of approximately sixty-seven million US dollars due to discarding of milk (Weersink et al., 2020;Rahman et al., 2022;Begum et al., 2020).

View on cost of processing in the processing company
Processing cost could be defined as the costs a company incurs from manufacturing a product or providing services that generate revenue for the company (Odera-Waitituh, 2017).For an effective supply chain, the processing cost should not exceed profits hence generating revenue thus a company may stay in the market longer (Nkwabi, 2019).
In this study, (Figure 3) most processors saw an increase in processing costs 15 (58%) whereas 7(27%) experienced no change in processing cost while four reported a drop in processing cost.Dairy and dairy products are labour-intensive products that require time sensitivity to prevent spoilage.Due to the measures put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus led to changes in the purchasing behaviour of dairy consumers in Romania (Bruma et al., 2021).This, therefore, resulted in low demand for processed milk, thus reducing profits and losses increasing.In another instance, as reported by (Chandel et al., 2020) the managing director of Dolha Dairy attributed a 40% fall in the sales of processed milk due to reduced purchases by consumers.This was similarly seen in Louisiana, where Briggs et al. (2022) reported an increase in the cost of processing during COVID-19 due to the implementation of safety protocols with the aim of safeguarding the health of employees through the need of installation of washing facilities with running water, and purchasing of personal protective equipment's (masks, gloves, etc.) so as to continue with the day's processing activities.According to Bhandari and Ravishankar (2020), unlike public dairy processors in India, private dairy processors had difficulties obtaining and transporting milk.As a result of the closure of restaurants, hotels, and schools, milk demand decreased.Meanwhile, although input costs for processing osts did not significantly rise, transportation costs did.The study also revealed that some processors, 7(27%), experienced no change in the processing cost.This could have been led by the swift action taken by the government, through the Kenya Dairy Board which resulted in the withdrawal of processors paying for license fees.This served as a relief to the processors both small and large scale, as they would channel the funds into continual processing even at such difficult times.Moreover, according the observations, the amount of milk processed decreased in line with the employees.It may be argued that with fewer employees, processing capacity was likewise decreased, resulting in a steady processing cost.Additionally, there was a general decline in the number of distributors.The companies also started using company trucks for distribution, which cut down on processing costs.

Strategies used to ensure constant supply of milk and distribution of dairy milk products
The dairy processing industry, like all other food processing industries, had an obligation to safeguard the health of everyone involved in the food supply chain, including those who worked as suppliers and distributors as well as employees within the processing facility.To ensure continued processing, the companies had to devise the ways they receive milk and distribute the products even during the lockdowns.Although movements were allowed during the day, during the evening there was a complete lockdown.This could have limited milk consumption as eating out of homes and other social gatherings that could attract the use of milk and milk products were not possible.Therefore, strategies were therefore developed in order to distribute the processed products to customers or larger dairy processors as well as receive their raw materials in the company.
The mini-dairies and cottages assessed in this study (Table 6), used company agents (34.6%) and company collection centres (30%) to ensure that there is a continuous supply of raw milk.Moreover, the majority of companies used company vehicles (57.7%) to ensure the continued distribution of the products.In addition, local sales (34.6%) became an important channel of product distribution.In India, according to Hambardzumyan and Gevorgyan (2021), most processing milk companies adopted new strategies to deliver their processed products to their customers owing to the opportunities coming from prospects of online sale of milk and dairy products.This brought about the deliverance of services to customers' apartments.In Romania, milk was purchased directly from the processors as a result of changes in the purchasing behaviour of dairy consumers (Bruma et al., 2021).Kirene factory in Senegal, received milk quantities in exceeded the company's capacity.This led to the decision to implement delivery quotas as a new strategy to control the flow of milk supplies.In order to understand the behaviour of dairy consumers in short food supply chains, Bruma et al. (2021) performed a study in Romania.They found that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly changed the way that consumers bought dairy products directly from processors.Therefore, we may argue that buying processed milk directly from the processors could result in a similar situation, which would justify the limited volume of local sales.
For that reason, small-scale dairy processors need to improve their mitigation strategies to reduce the effects of future pandemics measures on their supply and distribution.Firstly, contingency planning is essential to mitigate the impact of future pandemics.Small-scale dairy processors should develop comprehensive contingency plans that include alternative production and distribution channels, workforce management strategies, and communication protocols.A study by Pettit et al. (2013) emphasizes the significance of proactive planning and flexibility in mitigating supply chain disruptions during crises.
Secondly, implementing technology solutions can significantly enhance supply chain visibility and efficiency.This can involve adopting inventory management software, data analytics tools, and automation systems.According to research by Awino and Mutua (2014), leveraging technology can improve supply chain responsiveness and enable better decision-making.By monitoring supply chain activities in real-time and leveraging data-driven insights, small-scale dairy processors can proactively address potential bottlenecks and disruptions.
Additionally, establishing collaborative networks and partnerships within the industry can enhance resilience.Research by Kumar et al. (2018) highlights the importance of collaborative relationships in managing supply chain risks.Small-scale dairy processors can collaborate with other processors, suppliers, and distributors to share resources, information, and best practices.By working together, they can collectively address challenges and find innovative solutions to minimize the effects of future pandemic measures on milk supply and distribution.
Finally, small-scale dairy processors need to adopt digital solutions such as online ordering and payment systems to reduce the need for physical contact and minimize the risk of transmission of COVID-19 and maintaining open communication with customers is vital (Xames et al., 2022).Regularly updating customers about operational changes, product availability, and safety measures through various communication channels, including websites, social media platforms, and newsletters, can help build trust and loyalty.Engaging with customers directly, addressing concerns, and incorporating feedback can strengthen relationships and enhance customer satisfaction.

Policy implications
The impacts of COVID-19 measures on the supply and distribution of milk on small-scale dairy processors have been significant.While the research sheds light on the effects of COVID-19 on the dairy industry and several policies were put in place to support the dairy industry, there are still gaps between the research findings and current policies and practices.The following are the policy implications of the study: 1.One of the major policy implications is the need to enhance the resilience of the dairy industry to future disruptions.The pandemic has highlighted the importance of resilient and adaptive supply chains to minimize the impacts of disruptions.Policymakers should develop policies that promote the adoption of modern technologies and practices in the dairy industry to enhance resilience.2. Filling the Gap in Technical Assistance: The study found that small-scale dairy processors face challenges in adopting new technologies and practices to improve their efficiency.However, there is a gap in technical assistance to help these processors overcome these challenges.Governments should fill this gap by providing technical assistance to small-scale dairy processors to help them adopt new technologies and practices.This will improve their efficiency and competitiveness in the market.

Bridging the Gap in Cold Storage and Transportation
Infrastructure: Governments should work to bridge this gap by investing in cold storage facilities and transportation infrastructure to ensure that milk is transported and stored at optimal conditions.This will help reduce wastage and improve the quality of milk.4.There is a need to form multi-sectoral cooperation in the implementation of policies to increase the implementation efficiency.This will ensure that, policies formulated are translated to fit the specific sectors hence effective implementations.In conclusion, the impacts of COVID-19 measures on the supply and distribution of milk on small-scale dairy processors require policymakers to take proactive steps to address the challenges facing the industry.By doing so, policymakers can help small-scale dairy processors to weather the pandemic's economic impacts and contribute to building a more resilient and sustainable dairy industry.

Conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on the supply and distribution of milk on small-scale dairy processors.This study has shown that the pandemic's effects have led to decreased milk supply to the small processing companies, reduced number of employees and increased cost of processing.The study also highlights the challenges faced by small-scale dairy processors in maintaining the milk supply and distribution chains and the adoption or modification of new technologies.Therefore, the study has identified potential policy recommendations and improvements that could support small-scale dairy processors in maintaining their businesses during pandemics as well as allow formulation and implementation of policies that allow for flexibilities that can be tightened and eased to ensure resilience of the small processors.

Future research scope
There is still room for additional research in this area, Mutai and Kussaga 189 despite the fact that this study has given useful insights into the effects of COVID-19 measures on small-scale dairy processors.Future research may focus on a number of areas, including: Comparative Study: The effects of COVID-19 measures on both large-and small-scale dairy processors could be evaluated through a comparative study.This would make it easier to spot similarities and differences in the challenges faced by small-scale dairy processors and possible legislative solutions.Analysis of Consumer Behaviour: Future studies could examine how consumer behaviour changed in response to the COVID-19 measures, particularly in relation to how much milk and milk products consumers consumed.This would make it easier to pinpoint the variables that affect consumer behaviour and possible effects for small-scale dairy processors.
Sustainable practices: Future research could also focus on promoting sustainable practices in small-scale dairy processing, taking into account the impacts of COVID-19 measures.This would help to improve the sustainability of the dairy sector and support the long-term viability of small-scale dairy processors.
Lastly, research can also be conducted to explore the potential of technology adoption in mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 on small-scale dairy processors.This includes the adoption of digital platforms for marketing and sales, as well as the use of technology to improve efficiency in milk production and processing.
Overall, future research in this area will be critical in identifying and addressing the challenges faced by smallscale dairy processors during and after the pandemic.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Map of the study area.Source: Authors

Figure 2 .
Figure 2. Types of milk products processed in the mini-dairies and cottages.Source: Authors

Figure 3 .
Figure 3. Cost of processing milk in the processing plants.Source: Authors.

Table 1 .
Characteristics of the dairy processing companies analysed.

Table 3 .
Quantity of milk received in the processing plant before and during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.

Table 5 .
Number of distributors before and during the COVID-19.

Table 6 .
Strategies used to ensure constant supply of milk and distribution of dairy milk products.