Vol. 6 · No. 2 · 2002

Faisal M. El-Hag, Sallam A.B. Sabiel, Abdelmoneim M. Abu Nikhaila, Mohamed El Kheir A. Ahmed and Muna M.M. Ahmed

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The camel population of Sudan is estimated at 2.903 million head (MOAAR 1998), ranking the country worldwide second only to Somalia (FAO 1986). Most camels are raised within pastoral systems in the western (Kordofan and Darfur) and eastern regions of the country, Kordofan alone having some 1.05 million head - in other words, about 36 percent of the total camel population in the country (Sakr 1998). The Kababish, Hawaweer, Kawahla and Shanabla tribes of north Kordofan are the main communities whose members herd camels. They spend the rainy season in their home territories, moving in November to January to the gizo grazing area in the northeast corner of the region. From there they move south, through their home territories, into south and west Kordofan, where they stay until the onset of the rains in June, when they move back to their home territories (see Figure 1) (El Tahir et al. 1999). Camel's milk constitutes an important part of the diet in pastoral societies in arid and semi-arid regions (Holter 1981a,b; Yagil 1986). Nawito et al. (1967) reported that in north Kenya under desert conditions, camel's milk contained 3.8 percent fat, 3.5 percent protein and 3.9 percent lactose. During subsequent lactations, the levels of protein and fat were elevated and those of lactose and pH witnessed a decline (Sheriha 1986). However, limited information is available on camel milk production and its chemical composition under pastoral systems in north Kordofan, Sudan. This study attempts to elucidate seasonal and parity effects on camel's milk yield and composition.