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Livestock breeding and particularly milk production play a major role in poverty alleviation and economic growth. The present study aimed at characterizing the production systems and opening avenues for milk production in a (sub)urban [urban community of Niamey (UCN)] and in a rural environment [rural district of Filingue (RDF)] in Niger. In UCN, surveys were carried out in 35 dairy sites randomly selected among the 150 already indexed within a radius of 50 km from the capital. Out of these, 12 sites were selected allowing the questionnaire to be administered to 169 heads of household. In RDF, 49 heads of household, located in five villages within 75 km of Filingue, were surveyed. Results showed that in UCN, breeders owned few dairy cows (five on average, i.e. 28% of the bovine herd), which produced in all seasons 7 to 10 L/household/day; they marketed fresh milk more often than in RDF because they had access to dairy transformation units. In RDF, they owned more cows (ten on average, i.e. 52% of the bovine herd), which produced only during the rainy season and the cold dry season (between 0 to 10 and 10 to 20 L/household/ day according to 66 and 20% of the persons surveyed, respectively); dairy products were transformed more often before sale (melted butter, curdled milk, cheese). The innovations observed in the surveyed breeders were related to changes in herd management. The constraints to dairy production development in the urban area concerned in particular production and preservation of good-quality fresh milk all the way to transforming units or consumers, while in the rural area, it concerned the lack of avenues. In urban areas, it is essential to organize the supply of food inputs, evening collection of milk and to popularize technical topics and innovating practices.

Camel livestock relies on natural forage resources, which are subjected to irregular rainfalls, poorly distributed in time and space. Mobility is one of the strategies used by herders to utilize these resources. However, it has been a while since socioeconomic and climatic changes, and demographic growth and urbanization have changed the rules of herd management. Know-how of dairy farm management is essential for the development of a dairy processing unit in Agadez, whose main activity focuses on camel milk transformation. To help know the various herd management types in Agadez suburban area, 100 camel herders were surveyed. Analysis of the data obtained on herd management practices and on global management of camel herds helped distinguish three main herd types, differentiated on the bases of animal feed practices, herders’ mobility, and a marked preference of some herders for this particular area, for socio-historical and ecological reasons. The first group of herders were sedentary; they owned an average size herd, used feed supplementation and sold camel milk. The second group mostly used transhumance during the rainy season; some herders supplemented their animals, but almost none of the herders sold camel milk. Herders in the third group owned large herds and therefore practiced nomadism regularly. Milk sale became a more common practice through the special contacts established by some of the producers of this group with the dairy processing unit. Herd size and composition, and forage and water resources were the main factors that determined herd movements.