Dairy Production, Processing and Marketing in Chencha and Kutcha Districts, Southern Ethiopia

This study was conducted in eighteen kebeles of Chencha and Kucha districts of Southern Ethiopia with the objectives of characterizing dairy production and marketing systems. A total of 266 households were involved as respondents and 133 respondents participated in each district and data were collected through structured questionnaires. In Chencha areas 54.14 % local cattle and 45.86% exotic cross breeds contribute to cattle composition whereas in Kucha 98.5% is local cattle and almost negligible (1.51 %) is accounted to the exotic cross breeds. The study revealed that 57.14% and 55.64% households in Chencha and kucha areas respectively share common houses with their families for sheltering cattle meanwhile 42.64% and 44.36 % of the households in Chencha and kucha areas respectively manage cattle in separate houses. Moreover, 87.22 % and 95.49 % (milking of dairy cows), 94.74% and 99.25% (milk processing), 72.18% and 67.67% (barn cleaning), 83.46% and 96.98% (sell of dairy products) in Chencha and kucha areas consecutively is practiced by the women only. 69.92 % and 30.83 % of respondents in kucha and Chencha areas respectively practice use of concentrate feed for cattle. Average milk yield per day per cow in liters recorded is 5.5, 6.8, 6.7 consecutively for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd lactations for cross breeds and 2.4, 3.0, 2.6 for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd lactations for local breeds in Chencha and 2.07, 2.6, 2.6 for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd lactations in kucha areas for local breeds. It is fact that 70.67% and 55.64 % of children in Chencha and kucha areas do not have access to consume cow milk daily. 84.21% and 46.62% of the respondents in Chencha and kucha areas respectively use different naturally occurring spices to add good flavor and taste to their product during processing of milk. An average of 16.3 hours is required for curdling milk in both districts and during this period milk is stored in clay pot, finally butter is separated by continuous shaking of the container manually. 69.17% (Chencha) and 87.22% (kucha) areas respondents do not have experience of selling fresh milk but 63.16% (Chencha) and 90.98 % (kucha) are experienced in selling butter with an average price of 94 birr per a kg of butter. Keywords: dairy production, marketing, respondent