The study was conducted in Dawa Chefa District, Oromia Zone of the Amhara National regional state. The aim of this study was to characterize production, processing, and handling of cow’s milk. Five Kebeles namely, Gerbi Mesena, Shekila, Teref Gur, Woledi Town and Bedeno Serte were selected purposively based on their potential for milk production and variation in agro-ecology. A total of 90 households were selected from five kebeles and administrations of semi-structured questionnaire on milk, processing, and marketing practice were employed. The local cattle are the major breed used in the study area. The average number of cattle per household is 6 and ranges from 3-27. There are three major milk production systems namely, mixed crop-livestock (98%), peri-urban (1.5) and urban (0.5) milk production system. Mixed crop-livestock production systems were the dominant production system in the study area. The percentages of milking cows are higher in the mixed croplivestock production system than in the urban milk production system. The overall estimated mean value for age at first service, age at first calving, calving interval, number of service per conception for local and crossbred cows were (29 and 27.03 month), (46.16 and 37 months), (25.86 and 21 month) and (1.61 and 1.17), respectively. Milking, processing and marketing are predominantly done by female member of the household. The main feed resources in the District were communal grazing, crop residues and crop aftermath. Natural pasture account for 54% of the feed that was available and green maize stover contributes 10% of the overall feed resources

Reproductive performance and milk bacteria study carried out using questionnaire survey and milk bacteriology from December, 2011 to March, 2013 in Hawassa and Debrebrihan cities. Four hundred forty nine household interviewed and 87 pooled milk samples research work result were used to draw inference about smallholder dairy farm management in the study area. It was observed that there was no plot for forage development in sampled household and there was poor feeding, housing and health management. Cross breed and local zebu were breed by artificial insemination (72%) and natural mating (28%) in Hawassa, whereas almost all cross breed animals were breed by natural mating (85%) in Debrebrehan the remaining was artificial insemination. Health problems of calf mortality (34%), infectious (13%), retained placenta (10%), dystocia (5%), mastitis (8%) and others were reported. Average milk yield in cross breeds were 6-10 liters and local zebu produce an average range of 2-4 liters. There was significant difference (p<0.05) in calving interval, where local breed had 14.2 ± 0.44 months than others; age at first calving was 33.9 ± 0.9 than other breeds the difference was significant (p<0.05). Number of service per conception using artificial insemination was within the range of 1.18 up to 1.72 in majority of the selected animals which was in the accepted ranges. Bacterial milk assessment indicated that different gram positive and negative bacteria observed, showing the level of bacterial contamination The study indicates that there was clear managerial problems in smallholder dairy farms, where feeding, housing, health and milk quality management were poor. Therefore, strong policy should be implemented in order to leverage the existing smallholder dairy farm status in the country in general.