Social Characteristics of Camel Owners and Analysis on the Contributions and Constraints to Camel Milk Production in East and Central Sudan

Abstract

This study was conducted in Red Sea, Kasala, Gedarif and Gezira states - in east and central Sudan to assess the aspects of camel raising and constraints to camel production. A total of 114 camel owners were investigated using questionnaire in addition to interviews. The results showed that the majority of the camel owners in the study area aged between 41-55 years (42.7%), all of them were married, more than half of them (52.3%) were sponsoring families ranging in size between 4 to 10 members and most of them were illiterate 57.7%. The study found that majority of the she camels (57.5%) in the study areas are conceived at the age of 4 - 5 years and the main source of the replacement bulls was the newly born camel calves (66.5%). The results showed that the highest daily amount of camel milk produced in all studied states about 1- 8 kg (69.4 %) with an average of 4.5 kg, throughout the lactation period of about 12 months (365 days). Poor pastures and forage resources, diseases and health problems, marketing camel and their products and shepherds availability were the main obstacles facing camel breeders, respectively.