Abstract:
The study was conducted in Sibu Sire District of eastern Wollega zone with the objective of
to determine dairy production practice, milk quality and to identify the marketing system
of milk and milk products in the study area. A total of 6 kebeles were selected randomly.
From each of the selected kebeles 30 households were purposively selected based on the
owing of at least one local dairy cows and interviewed with open ended and close ended
questionnaire. Thirty samples of fresh milk was taken from farmers immediately after
milking and 15 milk samples was taken from market chains and analysed for quality. The
study revealed that majority of the respondents use natural grazing land as the major
source of feed and river water as the major source of water for their Animals. The result
indicates that 62.2% of the respondent use common house with their cattle and 36.8% of
them use separate house for their cattle. About 60.18% of the respondent use natural
grazing land for their cattle and the remains use crop residues for their cattle. The existing
marketing system of dairy product in the study area was informal.Preliminary quality tests
and laboratory analysis was carried out to determine the quality of milk in the study area.
From the sample about 31.08% were coagulate on clot on boiling test and 55.55% samples
were coagulated on alcohol tests. Overall mean totalbacterial counts, coliform and yeast
and mould count were 5.74±0.10.65, 3.14±0.72 and 3.71±0.83 cfu/ml respectively and
significantly different b/n producers source and markets channel source at (P<0.05). The
highest total colony count was 6.77±1.1cfu/ml was observed at retailers. From the
samples about 66.7% of the sample was in a normal range for specific gravity and 33.3%
of the sample was not in a range of normal specific gravity. The overall mean of fat,
protein, solid not fat were 4.65±0.50%, 3.67±0.05%, 8.78±0.15% respectively.In general
the result indicated that milk samples collected from producers and market chains, were
subjected to microbial contamination and does not meet the international milk quality
standard. Therefore, adequate sanitary measures should be taken at all stages from
production to consumer level.
