Abstract:
Small-scale urban dairy production is an important enterprise in Jimma town for income and
employment generation. This study has investigated constraints faced by the small-scale dairy farmers in Jimma
town, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. It has also examined gender responsibility in animal management and decision
making process. A single-visit-multi-subject formal survey was adopted to sample and administer
questionnaires to 54 respondents in the study area. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Lack of land
(50%), shortage of feed (38.9%), lack of improved animas (5.6%) and lack of access to artificial insemination
(3.7%) were constraints limiting dairy production in the study area. Other constraints included lack of
extension services, diseases, lack of credit service and market problem during fasting period. Source of labour
for animal management was hired labour (33.3%), family labour (16.7%) and the combination of both (50%).
Dairying generated a full-time employment to 103 male and 13 female labourers. On average, each farm hired 1.91
male and 0.24 female employees. Majority of the farms (85.2%) hired male labourer, while 22.2% hired female
farm workers. Activities such as herding (22.2%), farm cleaning (83.3%), stall-feeding (74.1%), watering (77.8%),
feed collection (74.1%) and milking (59.3%) were predominantly done by hired labour. Veterinary health care
(67%) was the responsibility male household head. Milking (13%) and milk processing (27.8%) was done by
female household members. Men decide selling of animals (37%) and milk (31.5%), while women decide how
much of the milk will be kept for household consumption (61.1%). Women also have a saying in sale of animals
and milk. It is recommended that technical and institutional intervention is needed to alleviate the identified
problems through adequate input supply and service delivery to improve dairy production in the study area.
