Effects of distance to market, season, and family wealth on pastoral dairy marketing in Ethiopia

Presents results of a survey designed to determine the effects of distance to market, family wealth, and season on the quantity of dairy products sold per person and per lactating animal. Quantifies the contribution of dairy marketing to the household economy on an annual and seasonal basis and assesses the role of dairy marketing in terms of pastoral food security. Includes data on family size and holdings of lactating livestock for pastoral households of varied wealth

Pastoral dairy marketing and household wealth interactions and their implications for calves and humans in Ethiopia

Examines some interactions of market access and family wealth on household milk allocation for calves and people. Evaluates implications in terms of mortality and morbidity rates of nursing calves and the composition and nutritional value of human diets. Presents surveys of pastoral households in a semi-nomadic Boran community, in Ethiopia during 1987-1988 which were used to test the hypothesis that poorer families living closest to a market town would be most affected by the enhanced opportunity to sell dairy products, which would intensify competetion between people and calves for milk and have negative implications for calf management. Across all families the average rate of milk offtake per cow was 41+2.5 percent (x+ ISE; N=45 families with an average of 5.2 cows documented for each). Significant main effects are shown in Table I and illustrate that: 1. poorer families reported a high rate of milk offtake, 2. the higher-producing cows were reportedly milked intensively, and 3. milk offtake gradually increased over all wealth strata as distance to market decreased

Effects of Distance to Market, Season and Family Wealth on Pastoral Dairy Marketing in Ethiopia

Peri-urban dairy marketing was studied on the semi-arid Borana Plateau in 1987. Dairy sales contributed 20% to pastoral household income annually, and this was controlled by the women. Dairy sales peaked in the wet season and declined 83% in the dry season. Households within 10 km of market sold 16 times more than those 21–30 km away. Poor households sold 85% less than wealthy households, but dairy marketing was relatively more important for the poor. Dairy marketing contributes to food security by enabling regular purchase of grain at favourable terms of trade and delaying sales of livestock capital

Review of dairy marketing and processing in a semi-arid pastoral system in Ethiopia

Studies were conducted among pastoralists on the Borana Plateau in 1986-89. Household surveys described seasonal milk production and allocation, marketed supply of dairy products, incidence of calf morbidity and mortality and human consumption of dairy products and grain. The efficiency of butter-making was measured. Dairying among the Borana is controlled by the women. Overall, 69 percent of milk produced was used as fresh milk and the remainder was soured for direct consumption or butter processing. Butter-making is efficient, as 85 percent of the fat in whole milk was recovered as butter. The amount of milk sold was greatest in the wet seasons and wealthy families close to markets sold the largest quantities, consisting of fresh milk and butter. Poor families sold much less, mostly fresh milk. Dairy income was relatively more important for the poor, who used the money to purchase grain at the expense of calf welfare and balanced human nutrition. Dairy marketing is a dynamic process that varies with climate and population pressure. Policies that facilitate market access and increase the trading value of dairy products would improve food security. Technical interventions to improve milk processing and largely irrelevant at the current population density because milk surplus are becoming smaller as a result of growth in the human population exceeding that of the cattle populatio

Pastoral Dairy Marketing and Household Wealth Interactions and Their Implications for Calves and Humans in Ethiopia

Surveys of pastoral households in a semi-nomadic Borana community during 1987-1988 were used to test the hypothesis that poorer families living closest to a market town would be most affected by the enhanced opportunity to sell dairy products, which would intensify competition between people and calves for milk and have negative implications for calf management. These poorer families indeed reported the highest rates of milk offtake per cow, and the milk increment was probably sold to purchase more grain for human consumption at the expense of milk intake for the calf. Consequently, this strategy may increase the susceptibility of malnourished calves to disease, especially those from lower-producing dams. Benefits of improved human energy intake from grain and retention of livestock capital must be weighed against risks of calf death and possible malnutrition of people from milk restriction when assessing dairy marketing trade-offs that are most acute for the poor. Opportunity to sell dairy products at favorable terms of trade helps the poorest people survive, and their risks could be mitigated by policies that facilitate grain marketing in the rangelands and interventions that improve calf feeding management, diversify human diets, and create alternative opportunities for women to generate income. The households postulated to be most at risk were identified from a complex, but logical, interaction among factors of distance to market, household wealth, and the quality of milking cows held. This indicates that targeting such needy groups for development assistance may require a more detailed and interdisciplinary analysis of production systems than is commonly practiced

Review of Dairy Marketing and Processing in a Semi-Arid Pastoral System of Ethiopia

Studies were conducted among pastoralists on the Borana Plateau in 1986-89. Household surveys described seasonal milk production and allocation, marketed supply of dairy products, incidence of calf morbidity and mortality and human consumption of dairy products and grain. The efficiency of butter-making was measured. Dairying among the Borana is controlled by the women. Overall, 69 percent of milk produced was used as fresh milk and the remainder was soured for direct consumption or butter processing. Butter-making is efficient, as 85 percent of the fat in whole milk was recovered as butter. The amount of milk sold was greatest in the wet seasons and wealthy families close to markets sold the largest quantities, consisting of fresh milk and butter. Poor families sold much less, mostly fresh milk. Dairy income was relatively more important for the poor, who used the money to purchase grain at the expense of calf welfare and balanced human nutrition. Dairy marketing is a dynamic process that varies with climate and population pressure. Policies that facilitate market access and increase the trading value of dairy products would improve food security. Technical interventions to improve milk processing and largely irrelevant at the current population density because milk surplus are becoming smaller as a result of growth in the human population exceeding that of the cattle population

Collective Action, Innovation, and Wealth Generation Among Settled Pastoral Women in Northern Kenya

Collective action occurs when people join together to tackle problems of common interest. Collective action can be an effective means of group problem solving, especially among poorer residents of densely populated urban areas or farming systems. Few examples have been documented, however, for the lightly populated rangelands, where pastoralists are better known for their social independence and opportunistic behavior. We were therefore surprised to encounter dynamic women’s collective-action groups in small settlements throughout north-central Kenya, a pastoral region characterized by high rates of poverty, few public services, recurrent drought, and ethnic conflict. We wanted to understand why groups were created and how they functioned. We used a semistructured questionnaire to interview representatives from 16 groups in February 2006. Results indicated that most groups had formed since the 1990s. They emerged either spontaneously or after encouragement from local development agency staff. Founding members were exclusively women who were often illiterate and poor. Groups have elected leaders and are governed under constitutional frameworks with extensive bylaws. Groups form to improve living standards for members, and numerous success stories were noted. Groups undertake activities including microfinance, livelihood diversification, and mitigation of drought effects; they also spearhead and fund community education and health initiatives. A tally of 63 groups created over the previous 25 yr indicated that 2 had collapsed, 47 were thriving, and 14 were failing. Group failure was most attributed to poor leadership and negative interpersonal dynamics among members, but important external threats included drought, poverty, political incitement, illiteracy, and agitation by men. In a region beset by large challenges it is notable that such grassroots innovation can help fortify social, human, and financial capital and this, in turn, can improve risk management and human well-being. Collective action should be recognized as a vital development process in Kenya’s rangelands that deserves more policy-level attention.The Rangeland Ecology & Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202