Govt keen to boost dairy sector
MOROGORO: THE government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the dairy sub-sector to increase its contribution to the national economy.
Speaking in Morogoro yesterday during the climax of National Milk Week celebrations, Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Ashatu Kijaji said the government is collaborating with stakeholders to implement key initiatives aimed at improving animal feed availability, pasture cultivation and seed production.
Currently, the dairy sector contributes about 2 per cent to the national economy.
Dr Kijaji revealed that in the 2024/2025 fiscal year, government and private farms collectively produced 222.54 tonnes of pasture seeds, including grasses, legumes and cuttings.
In addition, 14,185 tonnes of pasture (Heina Saileji), valued at 3.8bn/-, were produced, alongside 720,000 tonnes of processed animal feed.
“These achievements reflect the government’s continuous efforts to boost the livestock sector and position the dairy industry as a reliable source of income for many Tanzanians, while driving national economic growth,” she said.
The minister urged Tanzanians to seize available opportunities within the dairy value chain, including milk production, processing, packaging, input supply, machinery, training and technical support, to improve their livelihoods.
“Let’s embrace the use of certified and processed milk products for better health. Milk is nutritious for all age groups and we must avoid consuming raw or informally sold milk that lacks quality control,” she cautioned.
She further insisted the importance of milk traders complying with national laws and regulations to safeguard public health.
Dr Kijaji also outlined the government’s efforts to improve animal health and traceability through a national livestock vaccination and identification campaign, which is key to meeting international trade standards.
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She announced that the government has subsidised vaccination costs, enabling livestock keepers to pay just 500/- per cow and 300/- per goat or sheep, with the government covering the rest.
The National Livestock Vaccination Campaign is set to launch on June 16th this year. It will target the vaccination of 19.1 million cattle against Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP); 17.2 million goats and sheep against Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR); and 40 million chickens against Newcastle Disease (ND).
“This initiative will help Tanzania align with international standards set by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO), thus opening doors for global trade,” she said.
Morogoro Regional Commissioner Mr Adam Malima, speaking at the event, noted a significant production gap in the region’s dairy sector.
Despite having more than two million cattle, the region processes only 500 litres of milk daily, well below the existing plant capacity of 8,000 litres.
He called for additional support from the ministry to help scale up milk production to at least 6,000 litres per day within the next two years.
Earlier, Tanzania Dairy Board (TDB) Registrar, Professor George Msalya noted that the dairy industry is now valued at 3.2tri/-, attributing its growth to increased investment and supportive policy frameworks.
He also revealed that over four million households are now directly involved in the dairy value chain, underscoring the sector’s growing importance to the country’s socio-economic development.
Prof Msalya urged continued investment to strengthen the sector’s contribution to national income and poverty alleviation across Tanzania.
