Analysis of Existing Dairy Value Chains and Its Strands to Construct Viable Strategies for Upgrading: The Case of Urban and Peri-urban Area of Southern Tigray

Abstract

The aim of this research was to analyze the existing dairy value chain and its strands to construct viable strategies for upgrading in the southern zone of Tigray with specific objectives of to explore the drivers, trends, and factors affecting dairy value chain upgrading and to construct viable strategies. Primary data were collected from multiple sources including a total of 120 producers [60 crossbred owners (urban dairy producers) and 60 local breed owners (peri-urban dairy producers)], value chain actors: 24 traders, 20 consumers, and 8 service providers in Edamehoni and Alamata districts. The collected data was analyzed using application of appropriate statistical tools and simple descriptive statistics. The result of the study showed that the trend of milk production has shown a slight increase from 2011 to 2015 in the study areas. Marketing channels or sale outlets in both urban and peri-urban areas for milk and milk products were individuals, restaurants, and cafeteria. The major constraints of dairy value chains in the studied areas are a shortage of improved feed, the high cost of feeds, inadequate extension services, and poor market access and absence of dairy producers-led-cooperatives. Generally, dairy value chains in the study area seem to be ineffective and weak. The major viable strategies for the upgrading of the dairy value chain are input supply, institution and capacity building interventions. Thus aforementioned dairy upgrading interventions should be aimed at addressing both dairy production techniques gaps and marketing challenges. The study further suggested establishing of dairy producers-led-cooperatives to solve input/output supply services, improving extension services, improves access services and associating the linkage among dairy value chain actors should receive due to attention in order to improve dairy production and marketing.