Opportunities and challenges in peri-urban livestock farming in Tanzania

Project summary

The main goal of the proposed project is to build research capacity in areas needed to improve and modernize peri-urban farm production and make it more efficient and profitable with a view to eradicate poverty and promote the health and welfare of the people and the animals. Research and capacity building will be based on locally registered PhD and Master Students based on sandwich programs at Sokoine University of Agriculture and the Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Two PhD and 4 Master students will be recruited to carry out research in relevant fields. Four work packages (WP) namely WP1, WP2, WP3 and WP4 have been proposed: WP1 will involve one Ph.D. and one MSc studies on Livestock husbandry one on pig husbandry and on cattle farming. W2 will study Environmental, animal and public health issues involving one PhD and one MSc students. W3 will deal with financial and economic performance of poultry and pig farmers in peri urban areas and W4 will have one MSc study on animal welfare issues. The study is expected to build human capital through training. Practical recommendations will be made on how to tackle challenges facing the peri-urban farming and make it efficient in a view of safeguarding public and human and animal welfare. Research findings will be published in scientific journals, booklets, leaflets and other extension methods including seminars and workshop

Outputs

Project Completion Report - Summary:

The project provided significant findings on the existence of pathogenic bacteria, problems related to animal waste disposal, problems related to animal feed quality control and prevalence of diseases of economic importance to pig industry and highlights of animal welfare issues.

It has been observed that the current manure management practices in Tanzania do not protect either humans, animals or the environment against the risk of infection or contamination with zoonotic pathogens and hence the need for formulation of guidelines on safe manure management practices.  In addition, performance of livestock in urban and peri-urban areas of Tanzania is affected by poor quality of animal feeds which require approariate attention of the stakeholders.

It has been observed that attitudes and perceptions towards animals differ from traditional and peri–urban livestock keepers and that the concept of animal welfare is poorly understood among the farming communities in Tanzania.

The project has developed various policy briefs on animal waste management, Public health threats due to porcine cysticercosis, Stocking density and milk quality of crossbred dairy cows in urban and peri-urban areas of Tanzania and Socio-economic benefits of urban livestock farming in Tanzania. Awareness on health risks associated with animal wasts will be addressed.