Review on the Dynamics of Smallholder Cattle Business Systems in Ethiopia: Geographical Opportunities, Challenges and Sustainability Business Implications

¹Ministry of Labour and Skill, Agarfa College, Agarfa, Ethiopia

²Department of Animal Science, Mizan-Tepi University, Mizan-Aman, Ethiopia

*Corresponding author: Amanu Abate, Ministry of Labour and Skill, Agarfa College, Agarfa P.O.BOX-15/2011, Ethiopia, Phone: +88-01712563750, E-mail: [email protected]

Received Date: November 07, 2025

Published Date: November 17, 2025

Citation: Abate A, et al. (2025). Review on the Dynamics of Smallholder Cattle Business Systems in Ethiopia: Geographical Opportunities, Challenges and Sustainability Business Implications. Mathews J Vet Sci. 9(8):92.

Copyrights: Abate A, et al. © (2025).

ABSTRACT

This review examines the dynamics of smallholder cattle business systems in Ethiopia, analysing the interplay between geographical opportunities, persistent challenges, and implications for sustainable development. Ethiopia possesses significant geographical advantages for cattle production, including diverse agro-ecological zones that support specialized systems from the crop-livestock mixed farming of the highlands, ideal for dairy and draft power, to the extensive pastoral beef production systems of the lowlands. Despite hosting one of the largest cattle populations in Africa, the sector's potential remains largely untapped due to a complex web of constraints. Key challenges include chronic feed shortages, high disease prevalence, limited access to finance and veterinary services, fragmented markets, and poor infrastructure. These limitations are compounded by the growing pressures of climate change and population growth, which threaten the natural resource base. Achieving a sustainable and commercially viable smallholder cattle business requires a transformative approach. This entails moving beyond subsistence-oriented practices towards market-led, climate-resilient strategies.

Critical interventions include promoting improved feed resources, enhancing animal health systems, developing inclusive value chains with robust linkages to formal markets, and fostering policies that support equitable access to resources and technology. By leveraging its geographical strengths to address these systemic challenges, Ethiopia can unlock the sector's potential to become a powerful engine for sustainable economic growth, livelihood improvement, and food security.

Keywords: Smallholder Cattle Business, Ethiopia, Geographical Opportunities, Sustainability, Value Chains, Climate Resilience.