Dairy production and marketing in pastoral and mixed crop-livestock

Dairy production in lowland area of gambella region is found in association with traditional production system: communal grazing system and unimproved husbandry system, especially the districts occupied by pastoral and mixed crop- livestock area. farmers in all the studied areas because their objective of production was for consumption. Milk and milk by products prices varies around different seasons and in different locations. A high percentage of respondents 60 percent mixed crop- livestock indicated that amount of milk sale increases during the wet season, In this study cattle are mainly kept as the source of food and incomes (milk, meat, hide and skin), Health insurance, wealth indicators, confirming marriages and others traditional, cultural and religious practice, disease, thieves and veterinary services was regarded as the most important for dairy cattle production constraints prioritized by farmers residing in the study areas.