Integrating Dairy Goat and Root Crop Production for Increasing Food, Nutrition and Income Security of Smallholder Farmers in Tanzania

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/16968

The full title of the project is "Integrating dairy goats and root crop production for increasing food, nutrition and income security of smallholder farmers in Tanzania", abbreviated as Crop and Goat Project Tanzania or CGP Tanzania.

This project is supported with a grant from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada and with financial support from the Government of Canada, provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

Part of the CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish.

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    Effect of supplementing cassava tops and sweet potato vines on performance of growing goats
    (Thesis, 2014) Ngunga, D.P.
    Thirty six growing crossbred of Norwegian and local goats were used in a 90 days study to evaluate the effect of supplementing Cassava tops and Sweet potato vines on feed intake, growth and digestibility. Twenty four goats (12 males and 12 females) with mean body weight of 11.4 ± 0.65 kg were used for growing and intake study whereas twelve (12) male goats with mean body weight of 14.5± 0.54 kg were used in the in vivo digestibility study. The goats were assigned to four supplementary diets in a randomized complete block design. The supplementary diets consisted of hominy meal (67%), Premix (2%), and either SSC (31%), CT (31%), SPV (31%) or CT+SPV (31%). The goats were fed a basal diet consisting of Brachiaria brizantha hay ad libitum and water was available all the time. Daily average dry matter intake (DMI) was similar between treatments and was about 501g/goat/day. Similarly no significant difference was observed for crude protein (CP) intake between all treatments during study period. A significant difference (P<0.01) in ME intake was observed during experimental period. Growth ranged between 30.56 and 39g/day and was significantly different (P<0.05) between treatments. Significant differences (P<0.05) in feed conversion ratio (FCR) between treatments were observed. The digestibility study showed differences in DM, OM, CP, NDF between treatments (P<0.05). Goats supplemented with CT (T2) had higher revenue value obtained from live weight gain/animal compared to T1, T3 and T4. Goats supplemented with CT supported better growth and feed conversion, high N retention and revenue from live weight gain compared with SPV, SPV + CT and SSC. It was concluded that Cassava tops and Sweet potato vines can be used as potential protein sources to growing goats and other ruminants when poor quality roughages hay fed to small ruminants.
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    Child nutrition and gender relations: Case study of dairy goat and improved root crop project in Mvomero and Kongwa district, Tanzania
    (Thesis, 2013) Meena, P.H.
    The nutritional status of children below five years of age is a sensitive indicator of a country’s health status as well as economic condition. This descriptive cross–sectional study aimed at examining child nutritional status and gender relations among dairy goat and improved root crop project beneficiaries in Mvomero and Kongwa Districts in Tanzania. A total of 107 households were purposively selected whereby 107 adult respondents and 74 children below five years of age were involved. A structured questionnaire was used to determine dietary pattern of the households and gender relations while anthropometric measurements were taken to assess the nutritional status of the children below five years of age. Data were analyzed to obtain frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviation. Chi square test and ANOVA were used to assess association between child nutritional status and the independent variables considered in the study. Results showed that the mean age of the children was 27.8 months and of adult respondents was 38.5 years. The mean household size was 5.9 people. Majority of the respondents were primarily farmers, 35.5% in Kongwa and 35.5% in Mvomero District. There were more male children 55.4% than female children 44.6%. The prevalence of stunting was higher in Kongwa District (67.3%) than Mvomero district (33.3%). Stunting was high in children aged 12 to 23 months. 36.1% of children were introduced complementary feeding at early age of below six months. In Kongwa and Mvomero Districts, 56.1% and 27.4% of mothers respectively used maize porridge as complementary food. Staple food was stiff porridge and vegetables. Protein foods were rarely consumed while fruits were seldom consumed. Resource ownership, control and decision making were done by men. It is recommended that, training on nutritional education and importance of women contribution on decision making, control and ownership of resources should be provided.
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    Social networks and economic behavior: Impacts of gifting in Tanzania
    (Thesis, 2014) Zigah, G.
    Informal institutions such as social networks are often drawn upon in order to protect households from market failures. Social networks often involve gift giving both within and outside the family network to cope with production uncertainties and food insecurity. But some community members avoid giving out gifts to either family members or outsiders. Following literature reviewed, there are three key reasons or motivations for gifting – altruism, reciprocity, and social norms. Although all three motivations may be for any gifting between households, each motivation is more associated with different types of households than others. In this thesis, I assume gifting between households of the same family network is more likely motivated by altruism, or social 30 norms that create obligations, whereas gifting between households of different families is more likely motivated by reciprocity. However, these gifting behaviors may involve behavior such as free-riding or investment in social capital.As such, gift transfers within or outside family networks can affect the productivity activities of those who give and receive gifts. Therefore, this paper seeks to examine how gifting behavior of farmers, among friends and family networks in the Kongwa and Mvomero districts in Tanzania, affects their productive activities.To do so,using primary data obtained from 552 households from 4 villages in each of two districts in Tanzania, a probit model is run to examine the determinants of a household decision to give gifts or not. Also, I estimate a tobit model with household weeding effort and an OLSmodelwithagriculturalcrop yields as a function of different family types while holding constant other factorsthat affect agricultural productivity. My results support the idea that the formal economy (i.e. access to formal institutions, or services such as savings and credit institutions) is a substitute to social networks in these rural areas. I also provide estimates that suggest that productive efforts of farmer households differ depending on whether they are engaged in gifting with members of another household unit but within the same family network, or outside their family network. To be specific, the empirical evidence suggests that, relative to households not engaged in gifting, nonfamily gifting households have higher yields whereas family gifting households invest lover productivity efforts by weeding less.
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    Cassava and sweet potato value chains in Mvomero and Kongwa districts
    (Thesis, 2013) Mkani, W.
    This study was conducted to analyze cassava and sweet potato value chains so as to identify potential areas for intervention in order to improve small-scale farmers‟ access to markets in Mvomero and Kongwa districts. The study was a cross sectional design. Data were collected from 245 cassava and sweet potato value chains actors using individual interview, focused group discussions and key informant interviews. The data collected was summarized using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), Microsoft Excel and content analysis. Subsector mapping analysis was used to map cassava and sweet potato value chains. Results indicate that several constraints exist in all the two sub-sectors which among other things include low production, poor access to inputs, lack of market information, poor support services, poor linkages, lack of value addition and poor infrastructure. Profit and marketing margins along the cassava and sweet potato value chains were computed. Results indicate variations in gross margins with the highest gross margin of 34 355 Tshs/bag obtained by local processors while the farmers‟ gross margin was 24 709.31 Tshs/bag. For the case of sweet potatoes, the highest gross margin of 29 884.41 Tshs/bag was obtained by farmers while local processors‟ obtained the lowest gross margin of 3 050 Tshs/bag. Regression analysis model was used to analyse the determinants of cassava and sweet potato farmers‟ profitability. The findings show that farm size, experience of household head and farm location were the main determinants of cassava and sweet potato farmers‟ profitability Convention method, Shepherd‟s method and Acharya‟s modified marketing efficiency methods were applied to determine the marketing efficiency at different channels of cassava and sweet potato marketing system. Results indicate that market efficiency in all the two sub-sectors decreases as the marketing costs and/or margins of intermediaries in the marketing channels increases and vice versa. In conclusion, the two sub-sectors in general face a number of challenges that hinder the development of a sustainable and profitable value chain. Therefore, it is recommended that the challenges need to be addressed by involving government, researchers and private parties in establishing a sustainable and profitable cassava and sweet potato value chains.
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    Production and market performance of dairy goats in Kongwa and Mvomero districts: Value chain option
    (Thesis, 2013) Mpelangwa, E.M.
    This study determined production and market performance, through value chain analysis of dairy goats and its products with gender perspective in Mvomero and Kongwa districts, Tanzania. The specific objectives were: (i)To map key players of dairy goats and its products value chain (ii)To examine market performance of dairy goats and its product (iii)To assess effect of gender on dairy goat profitability and (iv)To examine the production performance of dairy goats. Data were collected from 106 farmers who kept 250 dairy goats, 40 processors/collectors and 60 consumers. Descriptive statistics, gross margin, net margin analysis and Data Envelope Analysis were carried with regard to each specific objective. The study found that the chain is comprised of five key players with three main products. These key players were farmers, input suppliers, grain millers, food vendors and consumers. The main products were fresh milk, manure, and offspring. Based on market structure the dairy goat milk was accepted based on its nutritious value. On market performance about 30% of the farmers had positive gross margin while 20% of farmers were making profit through having positive net margin. Based on gender effect on profitability, there was no sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis that there was no profit difference among different genders. For the case of production performance technical efficiency was 0.75 in both output and input orientations. This indicates that farmers were able to reduce 25% of the production cost to produce the same level of milk and manure, or they could increase the output by 25% using the same level of input. On other hand, scale efficient was 0.77 on input orientation. This further indicates that there was still a room to benefit on economic of scale, taking into consideration about 90% of the farmers were operating on increasing return to scale.
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    Animal health constraints of dairy goats kept under smallholder farming systems in Kongwa and Mvomero Districts, Tanzania
    (Journal Article, 2014-11-15) Shija, D.S.N.; Kusiluka, L.J.M.; Chenyambuga, S.W.; Shayo, D.D.; Lekule, F.P.
    This study was conducted to determine animal health constraints for dairy goats kept by small-scale farmers in Kongwa and Mvomero districts, Tanzania. A total of 129 dairy goats belonging to 108 farmers were screened for gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection, coccidiosis, haemoparasites, brucellosis and contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) over a period of 11 months. Other clinical diseases and mortalities were recorded. The goats used were Norwegian crosses and Toggenburg crosses. The mean prevalence of GIN infection and coccidiosis in all goats were 54.8 and 57.4%, respectively. Prevalence of GIN infection was higher (P ≤ 0.05) during the rainy months than in the dry months, but the prevalence of coccidiosis did not differ (P > 0.05) between the dry and rainy seasons. The EPG in goats did not differ (P > 0.05) between Kongwa (169.79 ± 0.03 EPG) and Mvomero (171.51 ± 0.04 EPG) districts, but the OPG differed significantly (P ≤ 0.05) with values of 793.15 ± 0.04 (Kongwa) and 364.02 ± 0.05 (Mvomero). The prevalence of CCPP in the goats was 26.4%. Other clinical diseases included respiratory diseases, infectious keratoconjunctivitis and orf (scabby lesions around mouth and nostrils). Both tests for haemoparasites and brucellosis indicated negative results for all goats tested. Mortality rate during the study period was 15.5% and the major causes of deaths were respiratory diseases, bloat and food poisoning. In conclusion, gastrointestinal nematodes are prevalent in both districts, but the burdens are relatively low to justify mass treatment. The Norwegian goats are more susceptible to GIN infection and coccidiosis compared to Toggenburg goats.
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    Making community based environmental impact assessment work: Case study of a Dairy Goat and Root Crop Project in Tanzania
    (Journal Article, 2014) Kilemo, D.K.; Kerario, I.; Parkins, J.R.; Nindi, S.J.
    Community Based Environmental Assessment (CBEA) is an approach used to collate information in order to identify and analyze the environmental impacts of planned, on-going and completed community development activities. This study was conducted with four villages in the Kongwa and Mvomero Districts of Tanzania where dairy goats and root crops were introduced as project interventions. The study addressed three key research questions. (1) What are key environmental challenges in the project villages? (2) What are the likely environmental impacts from this project? (3) What could be the community-perceived mitigation and enhancement measures for such impacts? Participatory appraisal methods including focus group discussions, participatory village resource mapping, transect walks and pair wise ranking were used in the field research. Research revealed several environmental challenges and depicted a number of environmental impacts (both negative and positive) including shortage of pasture, deforestation, conflicts between farmers and pastoralists and loss of biodiversity. In contrast to conventional regulatory environmental assessments that are required for larger-scale industrial projects in many countries, this study offers experiences from a small-scale development project where environmental impacts are assessed. Such methods could be applied to other small-scale development initiatives where positive or negative environmental impacts can be enhanced or ameliorated.
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    Breed preference and breeding practices for goats in agro-pastoral communities of semi-arid and sub-humid areas in Tanzania
    (Journal Article, 2014-09-15) Chenyambuga, S.W.; Lekule, F.P.
    A study was carried out to determine farmers’ preferences for goat breeds, desired traits, management and breeding practices in agro-pastoral communities of central and eastern Tanzania. A total of 552 goat keepers from semi-arid and sub-humid areas were involved. Information on goat flock size, breed preferences, breeding practices, traits preferred and husbandry practices was collected using a well structured questionnaire. Out of the 552 household heads, only 21.3% were women. Most of the farmers kept indigenous goats belonging to the Small East African breed and the mean number of goats per household was 8.9 ± 1.0. The majority of the farmers (53.4%) preferred to keep the Small East African goat breed rather than the exotic breeds. The Small East African breed was preferred to exotic breeds because the animals are easier to feed, prolific, tolerant to drought and endemic diseases. Most farmers (70.8%) practiced uncontrolled mating using bucks from either their own flock (66.7%) or neighbours’ flocks (33.3%).Uncontrolled mating was preferred because it is easier to practice (41.2%) and cheaper (41.2%). The buck to doe ratio was 1:3 in semi-arid and 1:2 in sub-humid areas. Breeding males were selected based on body size by the majority (85%) of the goat farmers. It is concluded that livestock keepers in semi-arid and sub-humid areas in Tanzania prefer the Small East Africa goats because the animals are abundantly available and well adapted to the local environmental conditions.
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    Determinants of food security in Tanzania: gendered dimensions of household headship and control of resources
    (Journal Article, 2015-09) Mason, R.F.; Ndlovu, P.; Parkins, J.R.; Luckert, M.K.
    This paper examines heterogeneous impacts of gendered household headship and control of resources on food security in rural Tanzania (as measured by a World Food Programme score based on quantity and quality of food consumed in the household over a 7 day period). Analysis with minimal attention to heterogeneity in gender considerations indicates no differences in household food security between male and female-headed households. But with a more differentiated household headship variable (reflecting heterogeneity in household composition) and accounting for gendered differences in resource ownership, the results differ markedly. Using more gender-disaggregated variables, our results show significant differences between female-headed and male-headed households. In these results we find support for the claim that gender norms in the study villages often restrict women’s access to resources, resulting in more vulnerable female-headed households. Female-headed households with no male adults present are particularly vulnerable. The study also points to specific opportunities for enhanced food security with attention to female and joint ownership of livestock. These results represent a hopeful sign that efforts to enhance female livestock ownership could be a useful strategy to address lower levels of food consumption in these Tanzanian villages.
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    ILRI’s experience with the Crop and Goat Project in Tanzania from a gender perspective
    (Working Paper, 2015-02-15) Brandes, R.; Saghir, P.; Galiè, Alessandra; Barasa, V.
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    Crop and goat Project Newsletter, Volume 2
    (Newsletter, 2013-08-30) International Livestock Research Institute
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    Development and implementation of a community based monitoring and evaluation system: Challenges and lessons
    (Presentation, 2013-06-19) Rware, H.I.; Pali, Pamela N.; Karanja, T.; Quirós, Carlos F.; Poole, Elizabeth J.; Parkins, J.; Deogratias, S.
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    Crops and goat project, Tanzania
    (Brochure, 2013-06-11) International Livestock Research Institute