Handling, Processing, Utilization and Marketing of <i>Ayib</i> (Ethiopian Traditional Cottage Cheese) Varieties Produced in Selected Areas of Eastern Gojjam, Northwestern Highlands of Ethiopia

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The study was conducted to asses handling, processing, utilization, marketing as well as other socio-economic benefits of traditional cheese varieties making and to identify major constraints of traditional cheese varieties production in Awabal, Gozamin, Machakel and Dejen districts of Eastern Gojjam. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect data. A total of 240 smallholder dairy producers (60 households from each district) were individually interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The major traditional cheese varieties produced in the study areas include Ayib, Metata, Hazo and Zureshekefign. Among these, three of them (Ayib, Metata and Hazo), are dominant. Respondents indicated that Metata cheese variety has high nutritional values and cure seven types of disease namely malaria and yellow fever, depressed appetite; Ejeseb (stomach upset), metabolic disorder (bloating), gastro-intestinal parasites, prevent nausea and digestion upset. The respondents reported twenty kinds of spices blended at one time during Metata cheese preparation and five kinds of spices commonly added into Ayib during Ayib making. Various types of herbs and plant species are used for smoking and washing of utensils during production of traditional cheese varieties in the study areas. The major marketing constraints of traditional cheese varieties were absence of sufficient buyer in the market, traditional taboos to sell cheese varieties in an open market, seasonal demand and supply, distance to the market, transportation access and quality. The major socio-economic benefits of traditional cheese varieties were to fulfill household necessities, sources of additional income, to purchase dairy inputs and for children school fee. Further scientific study needs to be conducted in order to confirm nutritional and medicinal properties of Metata cheese variety. Therefore the bio-active components of these spices and their effect on shelf life, nutritional value, medicinal uses and other attributes on traditional cheese varieties needed further investigation.