Input and service provision supply methods in mixed crop-livestock production systems in South-Ethiopia: Improvement options from a dairy perspective

This study was conducted in the Dale and Shebedino districts of southern Ethiopia during the period October 2014 to January 2015. It investigates dairy-related input and service provision in mixed crop-livestock production systems. Data were collected from 120 dairy producers, six focus group discussions, and six key informant interviews. Concentrate feed, improved forage seed, heifers, breeding services, and veterinary services, &drug supply appeared to be the main dairy inputs and services used by the farmers. In Dale district, concentrate feed and breeding serviceswere the main input and servicesobtained by dairy farmers, whilethe farmers in Shebedino district more frequently use improved forage seed and veterinary vaccinesand drugs. The Agriculture office is the main source of dairy inputs and services in Shebedino district. In Dale district, private actors like cooperatives, companies, and NGOs are the main service providers. Theyplay a vital role by providing feed, veterinary drugs, animal health care, and milk processing, and serve as an important market outlet for milk and dairy products in this district. The major shortcomings of input supply and service provision in the two districts included poor support for husbandry system improvement, fragmented livestock development operations, lack of a value chain approach, inefficient and ineffective AI services, shortage in distribution of improved dairy animals and forage seed, limited private sector involvement, and poor organization of farmers for input supply and service provision.Dairy related input supply and service provision in the studied areas could be improved by organizing farmers into small and medium-scale commercial dairy enterprises through the involvement and support of private sector and national and international development partners.