Demonstration of Urea Treatment Technology in Selected Kebeles of the Western Zone of Tigray

Abstract

The study aimed to demonstrate the effect of urea treatment on the utilization of sorghum stover and farmers' perception. It was conducted in four kebeles of Kafta Humera district with one farmer group per kebele. Farmers and agents trained on urea treatment procedures before the experiment. The participating farmers were provided with urea, heavy plastic sheets, and guiding manuals for urea treatment preparation. Weekly meetings were held with group members to address issues and propose solutions. During field visits, data on feed intake, milk yield of cows, and farmers' perception were collected. The results showed that urea treatment technology significantly increased the average daily milk yield of milking cows from 2.39 to 3.85 liters, with an average daily increment of 1.46 liters (61.1%). The analysis indicated that each additional unit of one birr per cow's cost increment resulted in a 1.84 birr benefit from feeding urea-treated sorghum stover as a supplement. Urea treatment also increased sorghum stover intake, reduced wastage, and improved the milk yield and body conditions of lactating local cows. Therefore, it is recommended to introduce urea treatment technology, along with affordable improved feed choppers, to wider areas for further popularization and scaling up of the technology.