Analysis of University-level Knowledge of Dairy-based Value-added Products: Disparities Between Traditional and Trained

Value-added dairy products refer to dairy products that have undergone additional processing to enhance their nutritional value, flavor, texture, or shelf-life. These products are typically marketed at a premium price due to their added value. Value-added dairy products are an important part of the dairy industry and provide consumers with a wide range of delicious and nutritious options to choose from. Evidence suggested that value addition knowledge is a contributor to dairy sector development. The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge on dairy based value added products (VAPs) among veterinary universities from different region (North, East, West and South) of the country. A well-structured validated interview schedule consisted 22 items was formed and send to five hundred veterinary science students of different geological location using convenience sampling method (online survey) during the period from January to March, 2022. Data were obtained from one hundred and thirty students whose total responses were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Majority of respondents had good knowledge and only few of the respondents had poor knowledge on VAPs. Out of the total participants only 51.5 per cent had attended training or classes while 48.5 per cent haven’t. The study finding revealed that there was a significant difference (p<0.05) between knowledge of VAPs among respondents who had attended training/classes and who haven’t, so intervention program need to be adopted to increase the knowledge regarding VAPs among the respondents and the farmers who fails to attend any training/ classes. As regards constraints, majority of the respondents (67.69%) have stated their constraint as inadequate knowledge of value addition, their awareness while 56.15 per cent have referred their constraint as non-availability of much content in course.