BACKGROUND
The ranch is found in southern Oromia region, Borana zone in Yabello district, situated at about 550 km south of Addis Ababa and 20 km north of Yabello town. It is part of the Borana plateau which covers 95,000 km², or 8.5% of the total area of Ethiopia and 14.6% of the lowland areas.
The Dida Tuyera ranch was established on 5550 ha of land with the objective of conserving and improving Ethiopian boran cattle through selection and controlled breeding. Even though the major activities of the ranch does not exist now; the ranch produces pure Ethiopian boran bulls and distributes for the local pastoralists to improve the genetic make-up of Ethiopian boran cattle genetic resource.
Besides, it supplies replacement heifers to Abernossa ranch for crossbreeding program and as demonstration centre for improved husbandry practices and modern ranching system. The ranch carried out its Ethiopian boran cattle improvement program up to 1990, but in 1991 due to the change of government, all animals were looted and some facilities were also dismantled. The ranch was re-established in 1993 and is the only ranch of it’s kind, serving the unique boran cattle breed.
Elnet Foundation’s emergency water supply for Borana Cattle Breeding and Genetic Improvement Center, a place commonly known as Dida Tuyera Ranch, is successfully completed.
This emergency project is implemented by Elnet Foundation in collaboration with Oromia Bureau of Agriculture and Borana University. As Elnet Foundation we are grateful to see the accomplishment of this project and that the borehole now serves water for cattle and people in and around the Dida Tuyera Borana improvement ranch.
This is the only ranch involved in improvement of the famous Ethiopian boran cattle breed. With three years of consecutive drought, the ranch was facing the threat of the highly valued pure bred boran breed being wiped out, which would have devastating consequences for pastoralists that are depending on the ranch for their herds successful development. As the boran breed is also used for crossbreeding, it would have been a monumental loss to Ethiopia as a whole.
Elnet Foundation would like to thank all contributors for the successful accomplishment of this emergency project!
