Report | How to make more from milk in the informal market in Ethiopia

This report on grazing strategies for dairy cattle in Ethiopia is written by five students from Wageningen UR: Eva Carrillo de Albornoz Loriente, Pier Hiemstra, Judith Jonker, Federico Lande and Willemijn Rooijmans as part of their Academic Consultancy Training (ACT).

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Abstract
Most of all the milk produced in Ethiopia comes from smallholders in rural areas. Due to a variety of factors, quality and production are persistently low, and only a small fraction is sold in informal markets. Opportunities to add value to the informal dairy chain should be investigated. Therefore, this report introduces seven new dairy products in the highlands of the Oromia region. These are yogurt with honey and dried fruits, Provolone cheese, metata ayib (local cottage cheese), teff butter cookies, niter kibbeh (spiced butter), cosmetic butter, and whey injera. These products can add value by increasing income and nutrition for smallholders, local and peri-urban consumers.
Socio-economic assessment was carried out based on literature research and interviews with informants with related academic backgrounds. In order to critically analyse the seven product presented here, SWOT analyses have been carried out. Moreover, specific attention is given to a range of supporting interventions, conducive to overcoming constraints inherent to dairy production. Finally, recommendations are provided focusing on the steps that need to be considered for tailoring the above practical interventions to the specific context of the villages in the highlands of Oromia.