THE TRENDS AND IMPACTS OF SMALLHOLDER CROSSBREED (F1 F2) DAIRY CATTLE PRODUCTION IN URBAN AND PERI-URBAN OF GAMO ZONE, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Smallholder dairy farming produces milk, meat, draught power, and manure for fertilizer and fuel, all of which are essential to rural development, agriculture, and food production. The study investigated smallholder crossbred dairy cattle production current trends and their impact on livelihoods in three selected areas (Chencha Zuria, Chencha and Arba Minch town) within the Gamo zone of the South Ethiopia region. Among the 14 districts in the zone, two towns and one district were purposefully selected due to their accessibility to crossbred dairy cows. The selection of study Kebeles and households was based on criteria such as the presence of crossbred dairy cattle and a minimum of 8 years of experience in managing crossbred dairy cows at the farm level. Using proportional sampling techniques, 138 households were included in the study areas from the total household population in the selected areas. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed using statistical package for social sciences. The majorities of sampled households 84.1% were headed by females and 79.99% were literate (P< 0.05). The average daily milk yield per crossbred cow was 11.82 ± 10.47 liters, while the average daily milk sold per household was 8.99 ± 10.35 liters, with the highest sales observed in Arba Minch. Chencha town exhibited the highest average dairy farming experience (21.30 ± 8.793 years), with an overall average of 16.91 ± 8.68 years (P<0.05). Initially, 72.46% of crossbred cows had a blood level between 0 and 25%, with variations among locations (80% in Arba Minch, 51.16% in Chencha town, and 82.35% in Chencha Zuria district). Crossbred dairy cattle with blood levels between 51 and 75% accounted for 45.65% of the population, with higher percentages in Chencha town (46.51%), Chencha Zuria district (45.68%), and Arba Minch (40%)(P<0.05). Approximately 20.28% of respondents utilized artificial insemination (AI) services for crossbreeding, with 31.15% accessing AI services from district or town agricultural offices. In terms of impact, the reasons for rearing crossbred dairy cattle, ranked from income change is first, new market access is second, feeding change is third, and new structures fourth. Therefore, focus on sustainable crossbreed dairy cattle extension services and identify causes of AI failure through assessments and stakeholder engagement