Abstract

The study was carried out in Fentalle district of east Shoa zone of Oromia, southern part of the northern Rift Valley of Ethiopia, to evaluate pastoralists and agro-pastoralists preferences for cattle breed and traits. The study areas are characterized by low input-output, weak infrastructure and high environmental stress. The data was collected through questionnaire from 114 Kereyu cattle owners and analyzed using descriptive statistics, including summary statistics and frequency counts. The majority of the respondents had particular preferences for Kereyu Sanga cattle (69.3%) along with their specific traits. Milk yield (95.6%), coat color (85.1%), drought resistance (72.5%), fertility (71.1%), heat tolerance (63.1%) and disease resistance (60.5%) were the most frequently reported preferred traits by the respondents. The ecological significance of coat color is widely recognized by the cattle keepers in the study areas. Such information can help assure that breed improvement interventions are consistent with the needs of the intended beneficiaries.  

Key words: Breed, traits, pastoral, agro-pastoral, breed improvement.