Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9600
ISSN: 2155-9600
Introduction: The study was conducted in Debremarkos Woreda, Amhara National Regional State, from October 2007 to May 2008.
Objectives: The objective of milk production, marketing and processing practices of dairy cattle in debremarkos woreda of east gojjam zone, amhara regional state and to get base line data on the status of dairy cattle production levels in the study area.
Methods: All 7 kebeles of Debremarkos were included in the study. A total of 200 households were selected randomly based on the proportion of total households in each kebele site using random number table. In formations were collected by key informant group discussion, household level questionnaire survey, farm visit and personal observations. The data were analyzed using the SPSS computer software and Excel programs.
Results: The mean land holding in rural farms were 1 ha and except 5 persons the rest of urban area farms were landless. The mean livestock holding was 8.36 TLU in rural areas and 5.32 TLU in urban areas. Cattle constituent 98.86% and 92.44% of total TLU per household in Urban and rural sites respectively. In urban sites cows constitute 41.20% of cattle herd and steers 0.60% and in rural sites steers constitute 20.31% and cows 29.00% of cattle herd. The proportion of cross breed and local breed cows in urban areas was 31.10% and 69.90% and for rural areas it was 3.38% and 96.62% respectively. Main feed resources were crop residues and communal grazing land and most common supplements include hay, atela, wheat bran and noug cake mix as concentrates. For the last two years AI service was not available in the Woreda. During the survey period 72.0% of urban area and 93.2% of rural area households used uncontrolled natural mating. Common animal health problems were black leg, anthrax, abortion, foot and mouth disease, ticks, liver fluke. Animal health service (treatment and vaccination) for the last two years was not available in the Woreda. Only 7.5% of urban area households used private veterinary service. The average daily milk yield was 1.50 ± 0.68 and 7.30 ± 4.65 litters for local and cross bred cows respectively.
Conclusion: There was a significant difference in mean daily milk yield, lactation length, age at first calving and calving interval, for local breed cattle between urban and rural areas but there was no significant difference for cross breeds except calving interval in between urban and rural areas. Main milk processing milk products include butter, ayib, sour milk, butter milk, whey and “Metata.” The main milk market outlet was contractual type of informal marketing either for hotels and restaurants or neighboring consumers. Lack of improved breed cattle, disease, feed shortage, milk market, space and water were identified in decreasing order of importance as constraints for dairy production.
Recommendation: From this study, it was recommended that: Extension service should be improved; dairy cooperatives and bull service should be established.