Pastoral populations of sub-Saharan Africa are particularly vulnerable to losses in wealth and productive assets via herdmortality shocks. Although conventional insurance mechanisms covering individual losses are not cost effective in low income extensive grazing pastoral communities, index insurance for livestock offers a promising alternative.

Livestock characterization projects in developing regions are characterized by a mere physical description of traditionally recognized populations or a purely academic genetic description of populations. However, characterization of livestock resources is meant to serve the purpose of developing conservation and utilization programs. A national characterization project should be geared to the specific national livestock production objectives.

A study on characterization of cattle milk and meat production, processing and marketing system was conducted in Metema district based on data collected between September and October, 2006. A multistage sampling procedure was employed to select representative kebles and households from CBFS, SBFS and Gendawuha town. A total of 270 households were randomly selected using systematic random sampling method.

The study was carried out in Metema Woreda of Amhara National Regional State. The objectives of the study were to describe the goat production systems in the study area and to identify major constraints and opportunities of goat productivity; to evaluate the effect of supplementation with different protein sources on live weight gain of grazing goats under farmers management and to evaluate the economic feasibility of the feeding system under farmers condition.

The study was conducted in Bure District of the Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) with objectives of characterizing the milk production & marketing systems and evaluating the effect of feed supplementation on milk yield & milk composition of local cows. A single-visitmultiple- subject survey was used to collect data on milk production & marketing systems. A total of 181 milk households were individually interviewed.

Amhara Region

Cooperatives play crucial roles in economic and social development of both men and women. The study was conducted to determine the participation of sheep farmers in sheep fattening cooperatives (SFC) in four regional states of Ethiopia with a special focus on women.

This study aimed at understanding of existing sheep breeding practices, identifying sheep breeding goals and characterizing the morphological and biometrical characters of Menz and Afar sheep breeds in their habitat as a step towards developing sustainable sheep breeding strategy. The study was conducted by implementing single visit questionnaire, observing and recording of sheep morphological characters, and by recording body weight and body measurements. The survey revealed that the mean sheep flock size per household was 31.6 in Menz and 23.0 in Afar area.

This study was conducted in Mieso district in western Hararghe Zone of Oromia Regional State to characterize milk production and marketing system and identify opportunity for market orientation. This study was initiated with the objectives of generating baseline data in the area of milk production and marketing system. The study was undertaken in five purposely selected rural kebeles of Mieso district; and these were Dire-kalu, Welda-jejeba, Hunde-misoma, Gena, and Huse-mendera.