Haramaya Camel Dairy Project sponsored by Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) conducted a workshop at Harar Ras Hotel from January 25 to 26, 2018.

The theme of the workshop was Camel Dairy Research and Major Achievements, and 14 presentations were made of which a five-year project report and major achievements presented by the Project’s South Coordinator, Dr. Mitiku Eshetu and the initiator and principal investigator, Prof. EgonBech Hansen.

Participants of this workshop were invited from Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Ethiopian Meat and Dairy Industry Development Institute (EMDIDI), Ethiopian Institute OF Agricultural Research (EIAR), Ambo University, Hawassa University, Jigjiga University, OdaBultu University, Addis Kidan Milk plant Manager, Land O’Lake, Yabello Pastoral and Agr-opastoral research center, and Danish partners from Technical University of Denmark and University of Copenhagen. The Project ran from January 2013 to December 2017.

Dr. Mitiku presented the major achievements of this project by cross checking the objectives and goals set at the beginning of the project and the final outcome of it. The objectives included the establishing the basis for development of unique dairy products from camel milk; strengthening the scientific disciplines within protein chemistry, enzymology, dairy technology, rheology, and sensory evaluation.

The Project established facilities suitable for research on cheese and fermented camel milk,gave opportunities to two candidates to conduct their PhD education, and 10 Master thesis and about ten scientific papers had been presented on an international scientific symposium at Haramaya University in the middle of the project period andan international symposium at the end of the project

Three universities,Technical University of Denmark (DTU), University of Copenhagen (UCH), and Haramaya University were involved in the implementation of this project.MSc and PhD students spent five months and more than one year, respectively in Copenhagen for course work and conducted laboratory experiments that could not be done in Ethiopia.

Chr Hansen A/S, the global market leader within cultures and enzymes for the dairy industry, contributed cultures of LAB and coagulating enzymes. The coagulant Chy-max-M is essential as it is the only commercially available coagulant with activity on camel milk.

Prof. Kebede W/Tsadik, Vice-president for Community Engagement and Enterprise Development, in his closing speechindicated“Even if the Project has been successfuland has met its objectives, it is clear that what needs to be done cannot be accomplished by few institutions alone. So we need further partnerships, in areas we have constrains and Haramaya University will do its level best in continuing research.”

Finally, he expressed his deep gratitude and acknowledged the efforts of Danish International development Agent (DANIDA) in sponsoring the Camel Dairy Project.