Small ranches launched to promote meat sector

COAST REGION: IN efforts to promote meat production and enhance the value chain in the Coast Region, the government has launched 534 small ranches in the three districts of Rufiji, Kibiti and Mkuranga from 2023 to May this year.

Veterinary Officer from the Coast Regional Commissioner’s Office, Dr Ramadhan Mwaiganju, made the announcement at Kibaha Town Council during a oneday workshop for meat sector stakeholders organised by the regional Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (TCCIA) office.

“Our region is among the leading areas in livestock numbers. To boost productivity, we introduced small ranches after realising that many livestock keepers were still using outdated methods, resulting in low meat and milk production,” he explained.

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Currently, a total of 620 livestock keepers are benefiting from the programme, with 64,051 livestock raised in small ranches across 29 villages in Rufiji, Kibiti and Mkuranga, he stated.

TCCIA Coast Regional Executive Officer and coordinator of the workshop, Ms Amilwise Mkayula, said the office organised the event to equip stakeholders with modern skills to help them add value to their products and increase profits

. “Our office organised this workshop in collaboration with the government and various stakeholders to help livestock keepers adopt a commercial approach instead of using outdated methods that yield low profits,” she said.

For his part, Tanzania Meat Board (TMB) Eastern Zone In-Charge (Coast, Dar es Salaam, Lindi and Mtwara), Mr Joseph Kulwa, noted the vast opportunities in the meat sector that can help expand both individual and national economies. “There are many opportunities in the meat sector that can be highly profitable if done properly.

These include exporting meat, engaging in meat transportation and selling animal skins. TMB will continue to use various platforms to reach out to all stakeholders to ensure high standards in all stages of production.

This is crucial for getting good prices for their products,” he said. Erasto Keke, a livestock keeper from Chamakweza in Chalinze Council, said the workshop helped him learn new methods to exp