Dairy Cattle Production under Changing Crop-Livestock Production Systems: performance in milk production, reproduction and quality of milk in selected districts of West Arsi Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

The study area has long history of improved dairy cattle management using crossbred dairy cows, a typical national dairy developments epicentres in the 60s as well as a recently introduced and widely expanding malt barely, pasta wheat and vegetable production for markets. This study was initiated to reveal the current performance of dairying under such long history of improved dairying and emerging farming system changes. The study specifically evaluates the performance of crossbred cows in terms of milk production, reproductive performance, as well as microbial safety of marketable raw milk. A total sample of 124 smallholder farmers were randomly selected from West Arsi districts, namely Shashement, Kofele and Dodola, for household survey. Sixty (60) milk samples were collected from milk producers, milk collection cooperatives and consumers for microbial analysis. The result shows that the study area is characterized by a typical dairy systems as part of crop-livestock mixed production systems. Farmers usually keep local cows, with a typical mixtures of HF crossbred and few Jersey crosses. The overall production and reproduction performance of dairy cows shows the legacies/experience of improved dairy cattle management in the area, with an overall mean daily milk yield (DMY) of 7.24+0.217 litres, overall mean age at first calving (AFC) of 33.54+0.82 months, overall mean calving intervals of 16.70+0.61 months, and overall mean lactation length of 9.70+0.54 for crossbred dairy cows. Significance difference were observed between breeds/blood levels, districts and animal factors such as parities. The overall values of total bacterial counts, coliform counts and yeast and mould count, were 6.51+0.31, 4.74+0.24 and 3.55+0.20 log10cfu/ml), respectively. The microbial quality of the milk was satisfactory compared to the Ethiopian standard levels. The most important factors perceived by farmers affecting the performance of dairy cattle in the area are linked to volume and diversities of feed production (due to competition for land with cash crops), the declining trends of crossbreeding programs in the area, and also lack of attentions given to the sector and hence farmers are showing a tendency of switching from a typical dairy farmers to cash crop producers, as market for raw milk is not well developed as compared to cash crops. Re-strengthening the extension activities, developing better dairy cattle feeding systems, market development and other livestock services will stimulate to regain the position of the study area as a typical dairy production milk shed, which needs special attentions.