Trend of raw milk collection, milk processing constraints and opportunities in Ethiopia

Abstract

Ethiopia is awarded from nature with cattle resource that brings it to the first stage from Africa and fifth from the world. Dairy production in Ethiopia is mainly rural small farming system with low productive indigenous cattle breed and an animal having multipurpose usage. Modern dairy product processing industries still infant and mostly dominated by traditional milk and milk products processing, due to regardless attention is given for dairy processing sector in the Ethiopia. Although modern dairy processing industries emerged in different part of the country, there is no constant in number of dairy processing industries which is up and down throughout different years due to disintegrated milk supply chain, poor milk quality, informal marketing, limit milk product processing technology, limited infrastructure and sociocultural impacts etc. are some of the limitation factors. Traditional milk product produced in Ethiopia are fermented yoghurt, traditional butter and butter milk, ghee and Cottage cheese. Whereas, modern milk and milk products are pasteurized milk, different type of yogurt and different kind of cheeses. Although, there are milk collection and milk product processing development constraints in Ethiopia, unexploited livestock resources in the country will an opportunities of milk and milk products processing investment. There for, this review paper is attempt to indicate the available dairy products processing investments opportunities and technical and non- technical constraints of milk collection and milk products processing in Ethiopia.