Tanzania Livestock Master Plan (2017/2018 – 2021/2022)

Abstract

In recent years, the Government of Tanzania has prioritized the transformation of the agricultural sector. This approach has been adopted in the 2007, the Agricultural Sector Development Program (ASDP) and its successor, the 2017 ASDP II. The country’s agriculture development plan is designed to meet the objectives set out in a number of existing strategies and policies in the country. Despite is ranked second in Africa in terms of cattle population, livestock-related activities contribute only 7.4% to Tanzania’s GDP and growth of the livestock sector at 2.6% is low (NBS 2016). This growth largely reflects increases in livestock numbers, rather than productivity gains. The absence of a roadmap to develop the livestock sector has persistently hindered successful implementation of previous investment plans for the sector. Though severely constrained by low livestock reproductive rates, high mortality and high disease prevalence, detailed interdisciplinary by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries (MLF) revealed the potential benefits of a comprehensive livestock master plan (LMP) for Tanzania.