Workneh Abebe Wodajo and K. Ponnusamy
Dairying is being practised as an integral part of agricultural activities in Ethiopia since a time of immemorial. Although the inception of dairy research and dissemination of improved dairy practices lasts for more than five decades, the majority of the farmers still continue to adopt traditional dairy practices. This review was made to point out the major challenges that imbedded the improved dairy practices generation and dissemination in Ethiopia. Intensive conceptual and empirical literature reviews based on several studies were done in the area of constraints and challenges; adoption and impact studies of dairy sub sector. The review indicated the central challenges of dairy development that emanated from policy, research, extension, technology, market, infrastructure, actors linkage and farmer problems of which lack of qualified personnel in research and extension organizations, low economic status of the majority of the farmers to afford improved dairy practices, absence of ready market for dairy product, high cost of cross bred and absence of an operational breeding strategy and policy are few to refer to. Though these problems were identified by different scholars at various times, they are not yet resolved and less adoption of improved dairy practices is persistently continuing. The review clearly indicated the need for an urgent revisiting of the current dairy research, extension and actors linkage strategies; capacitating dairy research and extension organization; creating ready market; and promoting farmer-to-farmer extension are some initiatives that are needed for sustainable development of the livestock sector of the country in general, and dairy development in particular.
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