Dairy cattle production suitability analysis using GIS and analytical hierarchy process in Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Amhara region is endowed with diverse agroecologies suitable for dairy production. However, there is limited quantitative information indicating the potential of dairy production. This study aims to analyse and map the suitability of biophysical factors for dairy production in Amhara region. Temperature, rainfall, altitude, land cover and slope were the top biophysical factors chosen by the researchers and experts for dairy cattle suitability mapping. Prioritization of the biophysical factors and spatial analysis of the suitable areas was carried out using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and GIS tools, respectively. The AHP analysis result indicated that temperature has got the highest weighted value (0.41) followed by rainfall (0.24) to influence the requirements of dairy cattle production. From the total area under study, 14.2%, 56.1%, 28.1% and 1.7% was highly suitable, moderately suitable, marginally suitable and not suitable, respectively. This result is found to be important to support decision making on dairy production investment, reduce dairy investment risks and contribute to food security and job opportunity. This would help to plan sustainable development of dairy production. The future study related to suitability should integrate socioeconomic and institutional aspects.