TADB disburses 38bn/- to boost dairy sector

MOROGORO: THE Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB) has disbursed 38bn/- in loans to support the livestock sector in the last three years, with a strong focus on strengthening the dairy value chain.

The financing, channelled through the Tanzania Inclusive Processor-Producer Partnership in Dairy (TI3P) project, is aimed at enabling smallholder farmers to access reliable markets, fair prices and technical support.

The project’s Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation Manager, Damas Damian, said at the climax of national milk week celebrations in Morogoro on Sunday, the bank had used 8.6bn/- to purchase 2,553 heifers for distribution to smallholder farmers.

“These investments aim to create a more efficient and profitable dairy value chain,” said Mr Damian when airing the project achievement in three years.

He added that 839m/- in subsidies were issued to 991 livestock keepers to help upgrade their herds, while 23.6bn/- went to 11 milk processing factories to enhance production capacity and product quality.

He said a total of 89,471 livestock keepers had benefited from training and extension services under the project.

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The training covered modern livestock management practices, animal nutrition and sustainable methods to boost milk production.

The initiative is part of a broader national strategy to formalise the dairy sector and link smallholder farmers with processors, he said.

“We want to see small-scale farmers thrive economically through the dairy sector by gaining access to stable markets and becoming part of the structured value chain,” said Mr Damian.

He added that with sustained investment, the dairy industry could become a catalyst for rural development and a dependable source of income for thousands of households.