Review on Dairy Cattle Productive Performance under Different Production Systems in Ethiopia: Current Scenario and Future Perspective

In the present scenario and future outlook, the efficient output of dairy cattle in various production systems in Ethiopia was reviewed. Product output parameters for dairy cattle such as daily milk yield, lactation period and average milk yield in various production systems such as pastoral and agro-pastoral (1.7±0.1liters,240±4 days and 2630±454 liters), urban and pre-urban production system (1.52±0.8 liters,610.59±0.86 days and 482.904 liters),small holder dairy production (3.9±1.6 liters , 258.81±68 days and 970.4±402 liters and intensive dairy production system (11.48 liters, 9.8 months and 3375.12 liters from Boran, Bark x jersey, horrors and cross bred cows, respectively. By using crossbred dairy cows, buying and retaining feed, rising profits, creating jobs, recycling organic waste, market-oriented systems emerge as an essential part of milk production systems in urban and pre-urban production system of Ethiopia. Commercial milk production system is more specialized; the state sector and a few private commercial farms practice market-oriented milk operations. The primary milk production in the lowland regions of Ethiopia, where livelihoods are heavily dependent on livestock, is the pastoral and agro-pastoral production system. In general, the performance of dairy cattle production in terms of daily milk yield, lactation duration, parity and average milk yield under different production systems has been poor in current scenarios. This showed that the intensification of dairy cattle production in Ethiopia should be promoted to meet growing demand for dairy products and to reduce imports of dairy commodities in order to improve milk production output in different production systems. As a result, population growth, the increase in urbanization, the increase in demand for dairy products and income would promote the growth of the output of dairy production in the future. Thus, in order to raise efficiency and productivity and thus improve the welfare of dairy cattle farmers, all the organized work of all the bodies concerned should be in progress.