Article
Review of strategies for overcoming challenges of beef production in Tanzania
Livestock Research for Rural Development
(2018)
Abstract
Tanzania is among the leading African countries with high livestock populations where production of beef plays vital roles in citizens’ livelihoods and the country’s economy. This paper reviews challenges facing the beef industry and suggests strategies for addressing these issues. The main challenges are poor growth rate of beef animals and poor meat quality, poor infrastructure, inconsistent supply of quality feed and water for livestock, diseases, lack of implementation of a meat grading system, fluctuations in prices in meat market, low technical knowhow of producers, inadequate technical support (trainings and extension services), inadequate/weak community beef associations, and complicated land tenure systems. We recommend several strategies that might be used to overcome these challenges, including: promoting breeding and selection programs, improving infrastructure and establishing mobile abattoirs, promoting pasture establishment with sustainable grazing management, enhancing feed conservation and water supply, controlling breeding sites, and vaccinations. The beef industry would also benefit from establishing standard prices for meat, encouraging niche markets, proper land use planning, and facilitating opportunities to obtain land title documents. Collectively, these practices can motivate and support an increase in beef production in the country, which will create more employment, thereby improving the standard of living and increasing national income from meat export.
Disciplines
Publication Date
2018
Citation Information
Frederick D Provenza. "Review of strategies for overcoming challenges of beef production in Tanzania" Livestock Research for Rural Development Vol. 30 Iss. 12 (2018) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/frederick_provenza/493/