Over 460bn/- project set to transform dairy sector

DODOMA: THE government has launched an ambitious tenyear Climate-Smart Smallholder Dairy Transformation Project (C-SDTP) worth 174.3 million US dollar (about 461.2bn/-), aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change and boosting the performance of the country’s dairy sector.

The project will be implemented across 28 districts on both the Mainland and Zanzibar, seeking to transform the entire value chain of the dairy sector by enhancing productivity and improving the livelihoods of smallholder dairy farmers in rural areas.

Gracing the project’s inception workshop in Dodoma, Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Prof Riziki Shemdoe urged officials involved in its execution to ensure accountability and value for the funds injected.

He described C-SDTP as a significant project for Tanzania, given the large amount of funding and instructed implementers to be diligent and patriotic in ensuring its success.

“We have been working for two years to ensure this project takes off. If implemented according to its designed strategies and timeframe, it will transform the entire dairy sector,” he remarked.

The PS emphasised that women and youth participating in the sector must be given priority in the project’s implementation.

He also commended President Samia Suluhu Hassan for making the project a reality and thanked development partners for their readiness and commitment to funding it.

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Country Director, Sakphouseth Mengi reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to collaborating with other co-funders to achieve the best results.

“This project aligns with IFAD’s core vision, which includes addressing the effects of climate change in agriculture and the dairy sector,” said Mengi, who also represented the OPEC Fund at the event.

Throughout the project’s implementation, IFAD will provide guidelines and technical support, including mobilising additional stakeholders to contribute to the initiative.

The project’s coordinator, Dr Lazaro Kapella said that the initiative will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the dairy sector while addressing other challenges.

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He revealed that the project will provide over 17,500 improved dairy cattle to beneficiaries and launch a series of training programmes to equip farmers with best dairy farming practices.

The Registrar of the Tanzania Dairy Board (TDB), Prof George Msalya said that implementing the project would significantly boost milk production in the country.

According to available records, Tanzania’s annual milk production stands at 3.9 billion litres, yet per capita milk consumption is only 67.5 litres per year, far below the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s recommended 200 litres per individual per year.

The project is jointly funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Heifer International, Agence Française de Développement (AFD), OPEC Fund, Green Climate Fund and Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB).

The workshop brought together livestock experts from various ministries and donor agencies, providing a crucial platform for stakeholders to develop a strategic roadmap for effective implementation.

The project aims to transform the dairy value chain to improve livelihoods, increase food safety and address climate change impacts, improve income, climate resilience and nutrition for smallholder dairy farmers and enhance the participation of women (40 per cent) and youth (30 per cent) in the dairy sector.

The initiative will be implemented in Tanzania Mainland regions, including Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Pwani, Morogoro, Tanga, Iringa, Njombe and Mbeya. In Zanzibar, Unguja and Pemba will also benefit.

Among the organisations responsible for executing the project are Tanzania Livestock Research Institute (TALIRI), Zanzibar Livestock Research Institute (ZALIRI), Department of Livestock Development (DLD), State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), Livestock Training Agency (LITA), National Artificial Insemination Centre (NAIC), Veterinary Laboratory Agency (TVLA) as well as Tanzania Dairy Board (TDB) The C-SDTP is expected to be a game-changer for Tanzania’s dairy sector through ensuring a climate-resilient, competitive and sustainable dairy industry for years to come.