TANZANIA PLANS TO INCREASE DAIRY COWS TO 1.5 MILLION IN THREE YEARS

Tanzania is in a plan that will see a number of dairy cows in the country increase to about 1.5 million by the year 2020 from the current 780,000.

The new increment will add-up the number of milk production to 4 billion litres per year from the current 2.1 billion in three years, thanks to the government’s five-year strategic plan.

Mr Kilongozi said the increase of milk production would enable the country to begin exporting the product, pointing out that currently, the country has only two dairy factories with Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) processing plants.

“The two dairy factories namely - Azam Dairy Products and Kigamboni based Milcom Dairy Limited - can produce Long Life Milk due to UHT processing plants, hence are capable to export their products,” he said.

“The strategic plan also aims to increase milk consumption in the country from the current 47 to 70 litres per person per year,” Chief Registrar in the Tanzania Dairy Board (TDB), Mr Nelson Kilongozi said.

Mr Kilongozi pointed out that average milk consumption per person should be 200 litres per year. He said that as part of the five-year strategic plan, TDB was currently encouraging dairy farming in the country; saying despite being the third nation with largest head of cattle in Africa, Tanzania has only thirty per cent of dairy cows.