Tanzania creams up USD 174 million to transform the country’s dairy industry amid climate change
Tanzania is launching a new ‘Climate Smart Dairy Transformation Project,’ to the tune of USD 174.3 million to transform the industry.
The project aims at supporting smallholder livestock keepers, especially dairy farmers in rural areas as well as improving milk and other dairy products across the country, in the background of changing climate and challenges arising from the latter.
Through the C-SDT project more than 17,500 improved breeds of dairy cattle will be distributed to farmers in the country.
The project will be implemented in ten regions and at least 28 districts, and involves other organizations such as International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Heifer International, Agency Francaise Development (AFD), the OPEC Fund, Green Climate Fund, and Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB) among others.
The initiative will overhaul and transform the dairy sector value chain to improve livelihoods, increase food safety and while at it, mitigating the negative effects of climate change in the dairy sector.
It is intended that over 40 percent of women and 30 percent of the country’s youth population who are directly involved in the dairy sector will benefit alongside those in the production, processing and trading of milk and related products as well as the transport sector.
Climate Smart Dairy Transformation Project covers various regions including Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Coastal, Morogoro, Tanga, Iringa, Njombe and Mbeya on the Mainland, as well as Unguja and Pemba isles.
The project key implementers include the Tanzania Livestock Research Institute (TALIRI), Zanzibar Livestock Research Institute (ZALIRI), Department of Livestock Development (DLD), State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), Livestock Training Agency (LITA), National Artificial Insemination Center (NAIC), the Veterinary Laboratory Agency (TVLA) and the Tanzania Dairy Board (TDB).
The Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Prof Riziki Shemdoe emphasized the need to ensure that value for money was realized in the project which happens to be the first of its kind in Tanzania.
The country director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Sakphouseth Mengi, who also represented the OPEC Fund during the introductory meeting, said IFAD, the lead funder of the project, was working with other funding entities to ensure the project becomes a success.
Project coordinator, Dr Lazaro Kapella, added that said the initiative will address the problem of greenhouse gas emissions emanating from the livestock and dairy sector
Steven Michael, the Director of Production and Marketing at the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries said the project will ​adopt high- technologies in the dispensation of livestock extension services​ while embracing research.
Prof George Msalya, the Registrar of the Tanzania Dairy Board (TDB) said the country​’s annual​ milk production ​stands at 3.9 billion liters​.
​However, milk consumption per capita is measly 67.5 liters in a year, which is ​way below ​the Food and Agriculture Organization’s recommendation of 200 liters per person per year.