ETHIOPIA – The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), in collaboration with the Ethiopian government, has intensified efforts to strengthen Ethiopia’s dairy sector, which holds significant potential for improving nutrition, food security, and economic growth.
Reported by ILRI, ongoing initiatives aim to address key challenges such as genetic improvement, feed availability, livestock health, and productivity through sustainable practices.
The organization has been working to enhance dairy value chains by improving market access, supporting value addition through processing, and shaping policies that foster a favorable environment for sectoral growth.
According to a report by the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture, smallholder farmers, who produce 72% of Ethiopia’s milk, remain central to the country’s National Dairy Development Strategy launched in December 2023.
However, limited access to breeding programs, quality inputs, and extension services continues to constrain their productivity.
In response, ILRI has been implementing initiatives such as the Africa-Asia Dairy Genetic Gains (AADGG) project to develop high-performing and climate-resilient dairy breeds suited to Ethiopia’s diverse agricultural conditions.
A report by ILRI highlights that the AADGG project, initiated in 2016, has led to the creation of a national database containing data from over 60,341 farms and more than 150,000 animals.
This information has been instrumental in identifying high-yielding dairy breeds suitable for artificial insemination, supported by genomic technologies and digital tools that facilitate real-time data capture.
Reported by AADGG, the project also integrates mobile technology to enhance farmer education, with platforms such as iCow delivering over 10 million SMS messages to 26,500 farmers, offering essential guidance on gestation, deworming, and vaccination schedules.
In a further milestone, ILRI signed a memorandum of understanding with seven Ethiopian universities—Adigrat, Aksum, Raya, Mekele, Jimma, Bonga, and Ambo—during the ‘
Advancing dairy futures through collaboration’ workshop held on December 18, 2024, at its Addis Ababa campus.
Reported by ILRI, this collaboration aims to integrate academic research with practical applications in the dairy sector to enhance productivity and sustainability over the next five years.
The universities will play a key role in offering specialized curricula, engaging students in hands-on training, and supporting entrepreneurship through business incubation centers.
According to state minister of agriculture Fikru Regassa, this partnership has the potential to address local challenges through education, research, and knowledge transfer.
ILRI director general Appolinaire Djikeng emphasized that these agreements reflect a broader commitment to improving livestock productivity through better genetics, health, feeding practices, and food safety measures.
Djikeng further noted that such initiatives contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring the sector remains commercially viable.
The workshop also served as a platform for knowledge exchange among universities, research institutions, and development partners, aligning efforts with Ethiopia’s National Dairy Development Strategy.
Reported by ILRI, discussions underscored the importance of collaborative research, practical skill development, and market-oriented approaches to overcoming industry challenges.
Key focus areas include improving productivity, advancing breeding programs, enhancing feed quality, and strengthening livestock information systems while promoting biosecurity and food safety.
Addressing these issues, alongside fostering private-sector investment, is seen as critical to enabling farmers to establish sustainable dairy businesses.
Universities are expected to play a central role in bridging the gap between academia and industry by equipping students with the necessary skills while responding to the sector’s evolving needs.
However, aligning educational outcomes with industry demands remains a challenge.
Reported by experts at the workshop, research efforts must be action-oriented and involve industry stakeholders and farmers from the initial planning stages.
Strengthening partnerships across these sectors is regarded as essential to developing practical solutions that can enhance productivity and long-term sustainability in Ethiopia’s dairy industry.
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