Saturday December 19 2009
Despite boasting over 36 million cows, bulls, goats and sheep, Tanzania’s exports have for years been insignificant. By WILFRED EDWIN
Construction of the long awaited Tsh10 billion ($9.5 million) National Ranches Company abattoir at Ruvu in Coast Region has finally begun.
The abattoir, with the capacity to slaughter 800 cows and bulls and 400 goats daily, is scheduled for completion in 2011.
Recently the government announced it had secured a market to sell beef in the Comoros, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
According to Narco board chairman Salum Shamte, the slaughterhouse will be one of the largest in East Africa.
Despite boasting over 36 million head of cattle, Tanzania’s meat exports have for years remained insignificant.
Now industry watchers see the slaughterhouse as the country’s chance to revamp the sector.
Livestock and Fishing Development Minister Dr John Magufuli said Narco stock had dwindled by as much as 25 per cent and urged the firm to consider other markets abroad like Egypt.
“Egyptians need meat but they buy aged cattle from India. Many say they would like to buy from Tanzania” Livestock Minister, Dr John Magufuli. Photo/FILE
“Egyptians need meat but they buy aged cattle from India. Many say they would like to buy from Tanzania,” he said.
Narco said it is looking at the possibility of a public-private partnership to produce quality livestock for the domestic and export markets.
It has floated an international tender for the running of its ranches in Mkata (Morogoro), Kalambo (Rukwa), Kongwa (Dodoma) Mzeri Hill (Tanga) Ruvu (Coast) Missenyi and Kikulula Complex (Kagera) and West Kilimanjaro (Kilimanjaro).
Narco’s main activity is ranching of beef cattle, goats and sheep.
For a number of years, its sales averaged 12,250 cattle annually.
The ranches were established through a World Bank loan under a low-cost investment strategy that envisaged establishment of ranching infrastructure such as dam construction and basic livestock structures like dips and cattle handling yards. Little emphasis was put on pasture development, fencing and breeding.
According to the divestiture programme of 2007, Narco is operating nine ranches in seven regions with a potential for 80,000 to 90,000 cattle.
At an offtake rate of 22-23 per cent, the present herd can supply about 10,000 steers, which can produce 1,500 tonnes of beef per annum.
Until recently, the Kongwa and Ruvu ranches were retained as potential disease-free areas.
The rest of the ranches will be subdivided into core ranches of 20,000ha each to continue under Narco management.
Others such as Usangu and Uvinza ranches have been sub-divided into 4,000ha units for medium commercial ranching activities.
Restructuring ranch ownership and promotion of the meat industry will expand the market for livestock, taking into account that at least 94 per cent of cattle in Tanzania are owned by livestock farmers while one per cent of the livestock keepers are pastoralists.
The livestock numbers have been increasing steadily (ranking third in Africa) in recent decades at roughly the same rate as the human population growth.
Out of 3.7 million households in the country, 3 per cent are pastoralists and 7 per cent are agro-pastoralists.
The livestock sub-sector generates over one-quarter of agricultural GDP.
Cattle account for about 75 percent of total livestock production alongside sheep and goats, poultry, and the pigs.
Approximately 99 per cent of the livestock sub-sector belongs to traditional (small) owners, with big ranches and dairy farms constituting the remaining 1 per cent.
However, analysts say that in order to be successful, the meat industry in Tanzania must aim at the introduction of feedlots in all meat processing plants.
They argue that the majority of cattle offered for slaughter are held using the extensive grazing system, meaning each animal has four to five hectares to graze, without receiving any additional feed or medical treatment.
The is advantage of this system is that the animals get fat during the rainy season and thin again during the dry season, which has a deteriorating effect on the quality of the meat designated for consumption.
Moreover, Tanzanian consumers’ attitudes towards meat and milk consumption do not support expanding of the local market, experts say.
For example, the per capita average consumption of meat in Tanzania was 10kg per annum two years ago, against 50kg recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation.
Narco owns 124 ranches countrywide with 230,384 hectares of land and 33,000 cows and bulls.
Source link : https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/business/construction-of-9-5m-abattoir-begins-in-ruvu-1297180?view=htmlamp
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Publish date : 2009-12-19 08:00:00
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