The Ethiopian Dairy Value Chain with a Particular Focus on Cattle and Camel Milk: Current Scenarios and Investment Opportunities

Abstract

Cattle and camel represent important cultural, social, nutritional as well as economic values to a substantial proportion of the livestock keeping communities dwelling in various agro-ecologies of Ethiopia. The country has a substantial potential for dairy development considering the large livestock
populations found in the country with other productivity enhancing factors. However, despite large population, the productivity is by far low; that the country to be a net importer of dairy products with import values significantly exceeding export values. Among others; limited market outlets for milk and milk products, inefficient and untimely artificial insemination service delivery, lack of crossbreed heifers, shortage and increasing price of feeds especially agro-industrial by-products and poor linkages among
key value-chain actors are the frequently cited factors deemed guilty. It is therefore, with this breathing situation that this review report made an effort to highlight the prevailing situation of the Ethiopian cattle
and camel milk value chains as well as the missing link. Based on the current scenario, it also suggests appropriate improvement interventions to take and when taken right then producers in particular and the country at general could make use of optimum if not maximum benefits that can be tapped from the sector.