Production Performance, Challenges and Opportunity of Goat Production in Ethiopia

Abstract

This study reviews the production performance, challenges and opportunities of goat production with the aim of delivering summarized and synthesized information for the beneficiaries and users. In developing countries, huge goat resources are present and the demand for meat products is strongly increasing. Ethiopia has one of the largest livestock population in Africa with the estimated domestic animal number of 57.83 million cattle, 28 million sheep, 28.6 million goat, 1.23 million camels, 60.5million poultry, 2.1 million horses, 0.4 million mules and 7.88 million donkeys. Ethiopian possesses one of the largest goat populations in the continent that serves multiple functions to communities that herd them. The growth rate of goat population is 1.1% with off-take rate of 35%.  In Ethiopia,  goat  production  accounts  for  16.8%  of  total  meat supply and 16.7%  of  milk  consumed  in  the country. The average annual meat consumption per capita is estimated to be 8kg/year which was lower than consumption of meat in the USA (124kg per capita per year) and that of the global average meat consumption. The average carcass weight of Ethiopian goats is 10 kg, which is the second lowest in sub-Saharan Africa. Ethiopian indigenous goats are genetically   less   productive   as   compared   to   temperate breeds. They constitute over 95% of the small ruminant population of Africa and 99.77% of Ethiopia. Goat productions are highly influenced by feed shortage, disease and parasites, market fluctuation, high predatory, genetically less productive breed, severe water shortage and high shortage of labor. There are opportunities to increase goat production like several development partners involved in higher learning; research and development are currently committed to goat development. Depending on this review it is important to use modern production systems with improved technology in urban and per-urban area, and in rural area improve traditional system through feed supplementation and better health care.

Keywords: goat production, challenges, opportunities, Ethiopia.