Assessment on Current Dairy Feeding, Milk Production and Handling Practices of Urban Dairy Farms in Mekelle City, Tigray Ethiopia

Livestock plays an essential role in Ethiopia’s economy, significantly contributing to the gross domestic product and household incomes. Understanding the dynamics of dairy production is therefore crucial. This study assessed the current dairy feeding, milk production, and handling practices in urban dairy farms in Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 174 randomly selected dairy farms across all seven sub-cities of Mekelle using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires. Data were analysed using SPSS version 23, and descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used to summarize the results. The findings revealed that 70.69% of respondents were male-headed households, and 90.80% had more than four years of farming experience. Nearly all farmers (98.28%) lacked grazing land, and 93.1% relied on purchased feeds from local markets. Tethering and stall-feeding practiced by 91.38% of farmers, with wheat bran being the predominant feed, followed by crop residues, cultivated forages, mixed rations, other agro-industrial by-products, and natural grasses. All farmers used hand-milking method, with 92.53% collecting milk in plastic containers. The average daily milk yield was 12.1 liters/cow. Major challenges identified included feed shortages, limited access to artificial insemination services, disease prevalence, land scarcity, lack of credit, market constraints, labour shortages, low milk production, and limited availability of improved breeds. In conclusion, improving dairy feeding strategies, milk production techniques, and handling practices is essential to improve the productivity and sustainability of urban dairy farms in Mekelle. Therefore, government and non-governmental organizations should prioritize enhancing access to quality feed resources, providing training on proper feed management and milk handling, and addressing key challenges faced by dairy farmers to support the growth of the urban dairy sector and improve food security.