Constraints and Opportunities of Dairy Cattle Production in Chencha and Kucha Districts, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

This study was conducted in eighteen kebeles of Chencha and Kucha districts of Southern Ethiopia with the objective to assess the challenges and opportunities of dairy production. Multi-stage purposive and simple random sampling procedures were implemented at three stages.  A total of 266 households were involved as respondents and 133 respondents participated in each district and data were collected through structured questionnaires. Most importantchallenges of dairy production in the study were feed shortage,  disease and parasite, poor breed improvement practices and lack of experience in improved dairy cattle management. This study revealed that 66(49.6%) and 65(48.87%) respondents in Chencha and kucha respectively indicated that shortage of animal feed is the most important problem hindering dairy development. The  main reasons for feed shortage indicated by the respondents were cultivation of grazing lands, declining yields of grazing land and increase of livestock population. Although many problems and constraints that may hinder the development of the dairy sector were identified in the area, the interviewed households of both study areas (69.17%) and (24.81%) Chencha and kucha respectively were willing to continue, expand and/or involve in dairying in the future.

Keywords: Dairy, challenges, opportunities