Presented by Robert Otsyina and D.G. Mlay at the CLEANED Project East Africa Stakeholder Consultation on Dairy and Environment Nairobi, Kenya, 18 September 2013

1. Dairy production and related environmental issues in
Tanzania
Robert Otsyina and D.G. Mlay
CLEANED Project East Africa Stakeholder Consultation on Dairy and Environment
Nairobi, Kenya, 18 September 2013

2. Presentation Outline
 Introduction
 Recent trends in livestock/dairy development
 Demand and supply situation
 Dairy production systems
 Intensive and extensive
 Current interventions
 Impacts on the environment
 Key drivers/Challenges
 Conclusion

3. Introduction
 With about 22.8 million cattle, Tanzania is the third
country in Africa (after Ethiopia and Sudan) in terms of
size of livestock population.
 The dairy industry is one of the most important
agricultural subsectors in Tanzania.
 Several farm families depend on livestock and dairy
production for their livelihoods.
 Consumption for milk is expected to increase in Tanzania
from the current per capita consumption of 45 liters per
year to about 100 liters/capita/yr by 2020.
 The Government is putting a lot of emphasis and efforts
on dairy development in the country.

4. MILK PRODUCTION SITUATION
 Total milk production 2012/13 reported to 1.92
billion litres.
 Total number of cattle 22.8 million (2012/13)
 Number of improved Dairy cattle was about
720,000 (2011/12) kept by about 130,000 HH
and produce 30% of total milk
 70% of total milk produced comes from local
cattle kept by an estimated 1.6 million HH

5. 0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
1,600,000
1,800,000
2,000,000
2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12
Indig Cows
Improved cows
Total
Milk production trends

6. MILK CONSUMPTION
 Per capita milk consumption 45.0
lts/annum(2012/13)
 Recommended level is 200 lts per head per
annum.
 Current analysis show that demand is far
beyond the supply.
 Initiatives to improve human nutrition will
further increase demand and subsequent
increases in livestock population.

7. Dairy Production systems
 Extensive, traditional
cattle systems
 - Low input-low output
system
 Displacement of cattle
from one place to the
other in search for
fodder
 Intensive smallholder
dairying
 Cut and carry system
 Supplementation

8. Dairy Production Systems
 Large scale
institutional and
private
commercial
farms account for
about 25 -30,000
dairy cattle and
about 2-5% of
milk production

9. Challenges
 Seasonal fluctuations in production esp. from
traditional herds.
 Quantity and quality of feeds especially during the dry
seasons.
 Overgrazing of communal rangelands
 Frequent conflicts between livestock keepers and
farmers
 Diseases such as tick borne diseases that kill up to
40% of calves if regular spraying /dipping is not done
 Long calving intervals due to poor breeding practices
 Low milk production density makes milk collection
uneconomical and non competitive.
 Poor milk processing and handling infrastructure.

10. Key Interventions
 Improving productivity of indigenous cattle ( Breeding
programmes),
 Expansion of the improved dairy herd and promoting milk
consumption.
 Capacity building among communities to manage and
conserve and communal grazing land and the environment
(Participatory rangeland and Forest Management systems
).
 Improvement of grazing lands and pastures using
multipurpose tress, legumes and grasses in agroforestry
systems.
 Disease control mechanisms.
 Policy reforms to secure land ownership
 Value chain development

11. Current trends and environmental
issues
 Growth in incomes, population and urbanization are
driving increases in demand for meat and dairy
products.
 Rapid expansion of livestock numbers in extensive and
intensive systems.
 Concentration of livestock populations in urban areas
 Over-grazing of agricultural and rangelands.
 Inadequate legal frame work in land ownership.
 Most of land used for grazing is owned
communally, therefore no incentive to manage grazing
lands.
 Displacement of cattle into agricultural and forest
areas.

12. Impacts on natural resources and
environment
 Increasing overgrazing and environmental degradation of
rangelands, forest ecosystems, pastures and farm lands
(Depletion of carbon stocks).
 Increasing soil erosion and nutrient losses.
 Degradation of water systems and sources ( water
catchments).
 As livestock production systems intensify towards
industrial and feedlot systems, water pollution and manure
disposal issues become more serious.
 Pollution from livestock/dairy farming affects the
atmosphere, surface water and groundwater systems.
 Increasing carbon footprints in dairy production and
processing.
 Increasing effects of climate change on local populations
and natural resources.

15. Conclusion
 Livestock production and dairy in particular provide
good opportunities for income generation and
livelihood improvements in Tanzania.
 Demand for dairy products increase with population
increases. This will drive increases in livestock
populations.
 Livestock (dairy) is seen as a key driver of
greenhouse gas emissions.
 Interventions to address livestock effects on the
natural resources and the environment should be
given due priority.