A review on underestimated; but pertinent challenges of cattle breeding: the Ethiopia perspective

The review aimed to explore and document the underestimated; but pertinent challenges of cattle breeding in order to get due attention from the scientific communities, policy makers, and farmers. Ethiopian cattle genetic improvement is significantly confronted with many under-considered constraints. The under-considered constraints are lack of record keeping, inbreeding, lack of breeding animals, lack of awareness on efficient cattle reproductive management, lack of awareness on causes of unsuccessful artificial insemination, and lack of breeding cooperatives. Inbreeding can be reduced by keeping good pedigree records and bull rotation. Cows in mixed farming systems cannot reproduce timely due to a lack of breeding bulls. Unskilled AI Technicians, inability to heat detection and time of insemination, internal problems of the cows and bulls, and lack of pregnancy tests are the potential causes of unsuccessful artificial insemination. The practices, experiences, and knowledge of cattle producers for keeping records, disadvantages of inbreeding, efficient cattle reproduction, determinants of successful insemination, and use of breeding cooperatives have been observed to be low. The cattle producers, therefore, should be well-trained with sustainable, efficient, and profitable cattle production and management. The concerned professionals and policymakers ought to give more due attention to addressing the underestimated problems of cattle breeding.