Despite accounting for 11% of the African cattle population, livestock-related activities contribute only 7.4% to Tanzania’s GDP and growth of the livestock sector at 2.6% is low. In recent years, the government of Tanzania has prioritized the transformation of the agricultural sector, yet the absence of a livestock roadmap has hindered progress. However, detailed inter-disciplinary research by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MALF) reveals the potential benefits of a comprehensive livestock master plan (LMP) in Tanzania.
A series of briefs was recently published outlining the main priorities emerging from the analysis:
- Tanzania livestock master plan—Key findings
- Pork production in the Tanzanian livestock master plan
- Development of the chicken sector in the Tanzanian livestock master plan
- Feed priorities in the Tanzania livestock master plan
- Animal breeding and genetics in the Tanzania livestock master plan
- Dairy development in the Tanzanian Livestock master plan
- Red meat production in the Tanzanian livestock master plan
- Livestock health priorities in the Tanzania livestock master plan
- Institutions and policies to implement the Tanzania livestock master plan
Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, development of the Tanzania livestock master plan was overseen by a high-level technical advisory committee convened by the MALF livestock permanent secretary, Maria Mashingo, and chaired by Catherine Dangat, ministry’s director for policy and planning. The committee comprised directors of key MALF livestock-related departments and other government agencies, and representatives from the private sector, civil society organizations and development partner agencies.