TANZANIA DAIRY BOARD: DAIRY EXPO 2017 IN PIPELINE

The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Development, Dr. Mary Mashingo (second left) hands over a Tanzania Dairy Board (TDB registration certificate to Wema Ngimbuchi (blind) as a certified milk producer during the ‘Milk Promotion Week Climax’ held at national level in Njombe Region recently. (Photo by Friday Simbaya)

Chairperson of Tanzania Dairy Board (TDB) Dr. Aichi Kitalyi

NJOMBE: Smallholder dairy stakeholders in the country have been advised to use the upcoming Dairy Expo 2017 to be held in Arusha to acquire new technologies, share experiences and learning which will make them competitive.

The call was made recently by Chairperson of Tanzania Dairy Board (TDB) Dr. Aichi Kitalyi during the 12th Tanzania Dairy Council (Annual Council) held in Njombe Region ahead of the just ended Milk Promotion Week.

The TDB chairperson said dairy expo will be done in the country for the first time, adding that the exhibition will provide a platform for dairy farmers, processors and other stakeholders within the country to maximize and create market opportunities for their dairy businesses.

She explained that the government will continue supporting such exhibitions in order to develop the sector and making it updated, sustainable and thrive in a competitive in domestic and cross-border markets.

“The dairy expo aims at exposing Tanzanian dairy stakeholders to a global dairy business opportunities focusing on machineries and technologies and experience to enhance efficiencies in production, processing and marketing of dairy products,” she said.

Kitalyi also explained that the exhibition will provide a platform for highly advanced global dairy processors and exporters from all over the world to enter into the market of the country and the East Africa as whole.

She said dairy expo will be done in the country for first time that will be amplified on the annual dairy promotion week which mainly involves local dairy stakeholders.

She further explained that the exhibition will offer an ideal launch of ideas, products and services, a better environment for making joint ventures and collaborations and an open marketplace to source plausible solutions.

“The dairy industry has continued to grow in the areas of production, collection, processing and marketing of milk. The dairy industry is one of the key industries in the livestock sector that contributes one third to 7.8% of livestock sector revenues,” she Kitalyi.

However, the industry also has a major contribution in enhancing nutrition, increase incomes and poverty elimination to citizens especially in rural areas.

Tanzania has nearly 25.8 million cattle and roughly 780,000 are hybrid dairy cattle such as Friesian, Jersey and Ayrshire.

Production of milk 2.14 billion liters in 2015/2016 to approximately 70% of the milk produced by cows that are raised in a natural form of natural farming and 30% of the milk produced by a cows or a hybrid of modern and livestock are kept small and between farms. 

At the level of milk production, a significant amount of milk (90%) are still in use at domestic level but the remaining 10% of milk produced is entering the market. 

On his part, East Africa Dairy Development (EADD II) Country Project Manager, Mark Tsoxo said the Dairy Expo 2017 will creates appropriate platform for outsourcing partnerships, explore new business avenues, enhance and accelerate growth of current businesses, and create opportunities for investment.

Tsoxo who is also the Vice Chairperson for Tanzania Dairy Council said the council whose one of the functions is to promote development of a sustainable dairy industry in the country is expecting the 2017 Dairy Expo opens up for inclusiveness and therefore accelerates transformative process through learning and more access to modern technologies. 

He added, the industry will be more vibrant and competitive in the regional and global markets if it embraces co-learning, acquire modern technologies and solutions. The East Africa Dairy Development (EADD) Project promotes dairy industry by raising poor farmers' incomes in regions of Njombe, Iringa and Mbeya using transformative process of increasing household milk productivity and access to markets.

Tsoxo told the Guardian yesterday that the project specifically enhances farmers' sustainability by enhancing cow's productivity through promotion of appropriate breeds, feeds and feeding systems, proper animal health and general good husbandry. Other specific outcomes is dairy hub sustainability by promoting functional dairy cooperative and business linkages; promoting gender equity through inclusion of more women and youths; and replication and scaling up of hub approach within and across industries. 

He said that EADD II will allow farmers to use new technology and production skills, to be the best food sources for livestock, collection, cooling and transportation of milk.

In Tanzania, the project aims to benefit 35,000 households. This project is being implemented in partnership with Heifer International Tanzania, Techno Serve, ICRAF, African Breeders Service and International Livestock Research Institute .

East Africa Dairy Development phase two (EADD II) has managed to establish total of 12 dairy hubs in Mbeya (6), Njombe (3) and Iringa (3) regions. EADD calls for private sector actors to up unleashed business opportunities around the hubs. 

Meanwhile, as part corporate social responsibility, EADD staffs in Tanzania have donated a cow to a woman with blindness Wema Ngembuche of Ikuna Village in Njombe District. It was out of will and passion, the staff raised a contribution of over Tanzania shillings 1.5 million rendered for a good quality heifer which was artificially inseminated, basic vet care and appropriate cow shed. Tsoxo added that the team will continue provide support to the same and other people in the Southern Highlands. 

The incident also attracted many more people including Dr. Mary Mashingo, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Development. Dr. Mashingo, who is responsible for Livestock Sector, appealed to the public including civil servants to learn from the event and provide similar support to the needy groups. 

In response to this call, the former Acting Njombe Regional Commissioner, Anatory Choya directed Livestock Department in the Region to ensure every vet support is provided to the farmer Ms. Ngembuchi as an art of promoting dairy farming in the region. 

EADD II Country Project Manager, Mark Tsoxo said yesterday Tanzania Dairy Board (TDB) has already registered Ngimbuchi and handed over a registration certificate as a certified milk producer.