Kijaji stresses livestock identification, vaccination

DODOMA: LACK of awareness among livestock keepers about the importance of vaccination and identification has negatively impacted the sale of Tanzanian livestock products in international markets.

This, in turn, has hindered the growth of both the livestock sector and the national economy, according to Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Ashatu Kijaji.

Speaking in Dodoma while officiating the Second National Livestock Vaccination and Identification Campaign meeting, Dr Kijaji warned that the situation not only restricts livestock keepers from accessing global markets but also limits their ability to obtain financial services.

“Vaccination and identification are national priorities as they will enable livestock keepers to access various services, including loans and insurance for their animals,” Dr Kijaji stated.

She said that inadequate knowledge about livestock vaccination has prevented many Tanzanian livestock products from entering global markets, ultimately slowing the progress of both livestock keepers and the nation at large.

For his part, Deputy Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Mr Alexander Mnyeti, cautioned individuals sabotaging the government’s efforts to uplift livestock keepers, saying that their actions undermine the sector’s growth.

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“There are people within the system who deliberately frustrate these efforts. Let me be clear—those blocking the government’s initiatives to improve the livestock sector are standing in the way of progress and we will not tolerate it,” Mnyeti warned.

The government has allocated over 200bn/- for a national livestock vaccination and identification campaign, to be implemented over five years (2024-2029), aiming to boost productivity.

The campaign focuses on vaccinating livestock against Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in cattle, Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in goats and sheep and Newcastle Disease (ND) in indigenous chickens.

In its first phase, the government, through livestock sector experts and local government authorities, plans to vaccinate over 19 million cattle against CBPP, 20.9 million goats and sheep against PPR and 40 million chickens against ND.

The government aims to vaccinate at least 70 per cent of the national livestock population annually over the five-year period, ensuring sustainable disease control and improved market access for livestock products.