Economic Feasibility, Benefits and Challenges of On-Farm Artisanal Cheese Making in South Africa

There is limited information regarding artisanal cheese making that can help entrepreneurs evaluate business opportunities and make realistic business decisions. The objective of this study was to assess the economic feasibility, benefits and challenges of on-farm artisanal cheese making. A model was designed to evaluate the economic feasibility of processing hard pecorino-style cheese and soft fresh ricotta on four different smallholder farms. The study assumed a small-scale family-owned business with an average herd size of 10 lactating cows, using 80 L of raw milk a day to make cheese. Projected Cash Flow Statement was used to determine the economic feasibility of cheese making. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using a factor of 10% to determine the changes in net cash flows by varying the milk volume, cheese selling price and both. The positive projected cash flow after the sensitivity analysis for the four farms ranged from $24,073.84 to $33,783.5. The breakeven quantity for the four farms ranged from 325.82 kg to 357.88 kg per year.Overall, the results show that artisanal cheese making is economically viable under the given model assumptions. However, the major challenge noted is that most farmers lack knowledge in terms of the processing techniques, market opportunities and production costs involved in cheese making. Access to this information by small-scale milk producers is vital in considering cheese making as a business.