Tanzania is a major livestock
producing nation. In fact, Tanzania is the third largest cattle producer in
Africa.
Worldwide Tanzania is fifteenth in
number of cattle (after India, Brazil, China, United States, Argentina,
Ethiopia, Sudan, Mexico, Australia, Russia, Columbia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and
France).
The Tanzania government officially
estimates that Tanzanians live amidst more than 18.5 million cattle and 16.7
million shoats (that is, 13.1 million goats and 3.6 million sheep).
The sector is growing at almost 3per
cent every year. Congratulations livestock sector! According to Njombe and
Msanga's very interesting paper titled Livestock and Dairy Industry Development
in Tanzania, "more than 90per cent of the livestock population in the
country is of indigenous types, kept in the traditional sector, having a
characteristically low productivity yet well adapted to the existing harsh
environment including resistance to diseases."
Tanzania has been certified Rinderpest
free since 2006. Nice job livestock sector! Most of these livestock are owned
by small holders. Njombe and Msanga state that about 80 per cent of the cattle
(mostly short-horned Zebu and Ankole) are kept in the agropastoral system,
while 14 per cent are in the pastoral system.
The remaining constitute beef breeds
and their crosses which come from commercial ranches and the dairy herd. This
means that 94 per cent of the cattle in Tanzania are owned by families -
meaning, the wealth of the cattle is held in many hands. This is a clear
success story.
Yet sometimes it seems people tend
to discount the industry because it "only" accounts for about 6 per
cent of total gross domestic product (GDP). As was pointed out in the report,
much of the value of the livestock sector does not appear when calculating the
GDP.
The livestock sector plays many
important roles. It contributes heavily to food security through supplying the
nation with high quality meat, milk and eggs. It acts as a source of cash
income and employment. It is an inflation free store of value. It provides
manure and draught animal power thus contributing to sustainable agriculture.
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