Small scale Dairy Development Project - Adami-Tulu-Jido district

The general objective of the dairy project was to support selected households from selected 5 PAs, through promoting modern small-scale dairy farming and thereby improve household income, living standard and food security status of target Communities. The growing rural population of the district cannot earn their living using only the traditional farming methods on a limited area of land, which is losing its productivity because of water and wind erosion, over utilization of land for crop cultivation, land fragmentation as a result of increased human and livestock population.

The objective of the project is being realized by the implementation of the following four component activities in all the 5 PAs. The components under implementation are Dairy Cattle Development and Management, Fodder Production and Cattle Feeding, Animal Health and Milk Marketing and Processing.

In general, based on the information obtained from group discussion and sampled households, the project is successful in boosting milk production, improving the nutritional quality and income of the households. The single cow dairy enterprise is found to be rewarding financially. SEDA’s intervention is very pertinent and crucial for the overall livestock development and improvement of the livelihood of the communities in the district. Further more, the level of adoption of the technology among the target group is promising and attractive towards those households who did not receive improved heifers.

Currently, the project is on the verge of new phases that are going to be pursued with a new funding partner.

The local skills of ranching dairy cattle was handicapped by lack of technical support and financial resources – SEDA filled this gap and left the ground for the people to play