Purpose: The private sector's presence in agricultural advisory services worldwide has been on the increase for over three decades. This trend has also been observed in the Mantaro Valley (Peru), in a context of dairy family farming. The objective of the article is to analyse the modalities of advisory services privatisation and assess the consequences of this privatisation for the farmers and their livestock systems. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected through input suppliers, different types of advisers and producers interviews. Findings: The activity of private advisers is most often associated with the sale of livestock inputs which leads to an increase of production costs and does not take the overall producer needs into account. However, in line with the development of mobile phones, private advisory services are facilitating access to technical support for almost all producers. Public advisory services are less active and still focus on the use of inputs without adapting their services to the evolution of the advisory system. Theoretical implications: The study adds insights regarding the consequences of privatisation of advisory services for small farmers. It shows that inclusion is not always the main concern. The influence on the use of chemical inputs may be more important and may lead to both environmental and economic concerns. Practical implications: This study shows the importance of both improving and regulating the private advisory services and strengthening the coordination of advisory activities between public and private actors for an efficient agricultural advisory system. Originality/value: This study brings new insights regarding the development of private advisory services supported by input suppliers and devoted to small family farms.