ASSESSMENT OF BUTTER PRODUCTION, CONSUMER AND MARKET PREFERENCES, QUALITY AND PRICES IN KINDDO DIDAYE OF WOLAITA ZONE, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The study was conducted at Kinddo Didaye district, Wolaita zone southern Ethiopia with the objective of assessing butter production, consumer and market preferences, quality and prices in the area. Based on data collected between April to July 2019. The effect of agro ecology on butter production was analyzed. A multistage sampling procedure was employed to select representative kebeles and households from Kinddo Didaye district. To conduct the study, one sample district (Kinddo Didaye) was purposively based on dairy cow potentiality and butter production. Six kebeles were selected in total (three from midland and three kebeles from lowland). 138 butter producing households were purposively selected based on dairy cow production and butter production from the study district. Besides this different 40 retailers, 10 butter shops and 50 consumers were interviewed. Local cattle are the most dominant milking cows were kept by all six kebeles. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected, involving household survey. Thus, all (100%) of the respondents were reported that clay pot churn is tool used for butter making. For washing and smoking milk equipments, plant leaves such as Ocimum hardiense (68.1%) and Cymbopogan martini (23.9%) were mostly used in both agro-ecologies. For butter averagely 3.0±0.12 and 2.91±0.01 volume of milk churned at a time in both lowland and midland agro-ecologies respectively. In addition, 17.92±0.13 and 15.04±0.09 liters of milk in both lowland and midland agro-ecologies respectively were used to produce 1kg of butter. Retailers and consumers got quality butter from producer; The destinations of the butter were to different areas in the country, mainly Wolaita Soddo, Hawassa, Addis Abeba and others. All assembler/butter shops sell butter by their shops. Consumers report shows that the quality attributes of butter preferable by consumers were 44% flavor, 32% texture, 20% color and remaining 4% fermentation in study district. The price of butter rise during holy days, non-fasting period and dry season. The challenges of butter production in the area were feed shortage, shortage of grazing area, dry season, price fluctuation and fasting season. The major type of adulteration that reported by consumers were 62.5% banana and 37.5% ‘shenolega’ in the study area