BBT to benefit 200 youth engaged in its goat and sheep fattening project

DODOMA: AT LEAST 200 youth are set to benefit from opportunities in goat and sheep fattening under the government’s Building a Better Tomorrow (BBT) programme being implemented by the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries at the Tanzania Livestock Research Institute (TALIRI) centre in Kongwa District, Dodoma Region.

The five-year project, valued at 81bn/-, seeks to increase youth and women’s participation in livestock entrepreneurship while strengthening commercial livestock production and the wider value chain.

Speaking during a project introduction workshop in Kongwa on behalf of the Permanent Secretary for Livestock and Fisheries, the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Livestock), Dr Fabian Madele, said the programme will equip young people with practical skills in commercial goat and sheep fattening.

He said the project will also cover fodder production, fodder seed multiplication, animal feed processing, and the application of modern livestock production technologies.

Dr Madele noted that youth are the main beneficiaries of the initiative and will gain hands-on experience across the entire livestock value chain, particularly in goat production.

Through the training, he explained, young people will acquire the skills needed to venture into modern livestock businesses, improve their incomes, and contribute to national economic growth.

He added that the government expects trained youth to start their own businesses and help address the country’s unemployment challenge.

Beneficiaries will also have access to collateral-free loans after completing the training to enable them to expand their livestock enterprises.