The study was carried out in and around Boditti town with the objective of assessing the microbial quality and chemical property of fresh whole milk produced in the area. Four locations (Kebeles) two in Boditti town and two in the surrounding areas were randomly selected. A total of 40 households having at least one milking cow were randomly selected for milk sampling. The microbial counts of fresh whole milk samples produced in the area did not vary significantly between locations with the mean total bacterial and coliform counts of 6.36±0.24 and 4.30±0.22 log CFU/ml, respectively. Values of both total bacterial and coliform counts in fresh milk samples considered were generally above acceptable limits. The overall fat, protein, total solids (TS), solids-not-fat (SNF) and ash contents of fresh whole milk was 5.22, 4.22, 12.75, 7.52, 2.66 and 0.64%, respectively. The result of the microbial investigation indicated poor bacteriological quality of fresh whole milk whereas the chemical composition was within acceptable ranges. Therefore, milk produced in the area should be heat treated before consumption and adequate sanitary measures should be taken at all stages from production to consumption to produce milk and milk products of superior quality and protect the health of the consumers.
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