Dairy Production System in Lowland Areas of Gambella, Ethiopia

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify and assessing the different types of dairy cattle production systems, management practices, marketing and its constraints that exist in the Itang district. A total of 120 households were selected from four kebeles using simple random selection method after identifying the dairy owner from the community using purposive sampling method. Descriptive statistics, one way ANOVA, chi-square and ranking were analysed using SPSS statistical package. The majority of producers (63.3%) in the pastoral system produced milk for home consumption, while the majority of mixed crop–livestock producers (40.0%) produced milk for selling purpose. In the mixed crop–livestock system, mostly cereal crop based grazing is the major feed resource but these feed resources were managed in a traditional ways. Almost all respondents in the mixed crop-livestock system (96.5%) and pastoral system (100%) did not supplement their lactating cow with additional feeds. More than 400 cattle herds from 2-3 villages graze together between 10 am to 4 pm daily. The majority of households (68.3%) in the mixed crop–livestock system kept their cattle separately in barn, while other 8.3% of the households did the same in pastoral areas. Constraints for dairy development in the area are diseased condition, thieves, lack of veterinary services, lack of credit, feed and feeding and poor extension services. It can be concluded dairy cattle production in the mixed crop-livestock system was economical and based on mixed agriculture (crops plus livestock) with some fishing activity, mining and wild food collection.