Actors’ Performance and Value Chain Analysis of Cattle Fattening in Some Selected Districts of Western Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

Despite the fact that Ethiopia in general and the study area is characterized by a high livestock population, its productivity, marketing system, value chain actors’ coordination are characterized as low, less developed and weak respectively. Therefore the objectives of the study were to identify core functions and main actors in the fattened cattle value chain, identify marketing channels of fattened cattle in the study areas, estimate the market cost and margin in the fattened cattle trade and identify major constraints and opportunities in its value chain in the western Oromia. Different data, data collection methods and data analysis procedures were undertaken to materialize the objectives of the study. The result of the study indicates that there are six major market channels in the study area and there were loos and/or lack of vertical and horizontal cooperation and linkage among value chain actors. Demand fluctuations, feed shortage, lack of medicines, weak extension service and lack of improved feeds were among others constraints. As the numbers of value chain actor increases and value addition on fattened cattle increases the share of the small scale farm household from final consumers’ price decreases.  Therefore, enabling constraints at every stage of the value chain must be prioritized and should be solved according to the need of society- if the profit shares of small scale farm households are to be increased. Again to increase the profit share of the small scale farm households the value adding activities should have to be accomplished by primary producer farm household themselves.

Keywords: Value chain analysis, value addition, cattle fattening, fattened cattle, actors