268
and commercialisation of the dairy goat industry. Farmers benefit from the technologies and skills in good farming practices and milk handling, while processors gain by
obtaining good quality milk and milk products. As a result, increased income and
better nutrition from dairy goats will be achieved.
1 Introduction
A large number of poor households in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) depend on the livestock for their livelihood. However, their production systems are characterised by a
low input-output system, insufficient to meet the food demands of the fast- growing
population. Low productivity of indigenous livestock and low purchasing power are
the major causes of food insecurity in the region. In particular, there is limited access
to animal protein sources such as meat, milk and eggs in poor households who mainly
depend on cereals (Otte and Chilonda 2003). There is a need to improve the existing
production systems, particularly for households in the rural areas which depend
entirely on agricultural activities for their livelihood. In Tanzania, about 50% of agricultural households keep livestock species mainly local cattle, small ruminants and
local chicken; these provide reliable pathways out of poverty and help to achieve
animal protein nutrition requirements (MALF 2016). Although indigenous livestock
species are preferred due to their adaptive characteristics to the tropical settings, they
are characterised by low productivity; therefore, it is difficult to achieve increased
animal protein production based on these animals alone.
The introduction of Norwegian dairy goats, also known as Norwegian Landrace
(NL), is one example of the successful projects intended to improve the availability of
protein products of animal origin in rural communities, where it was initially difficult to
obtain them. For example, in the Uluguru mountain areas, in Morogoro, Tanzania, the
NL goats were shown to improve nutrition and income status of the poor households of
Mgeta division (Eik et al. 2008). Consequently, household milk consumption in the division increased from 0 in 1988 to 1.6 L/day in 2012 (Kifaro et al. 2012). Since their
introduction in 1993 through collaborative research between Norwegian University of
Life Sciences (NMBU) and Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), dairy goat farming has been significantly sustained, leading to increase in the numbers of both goats and
farmers (Msalya et al. 2017). In addition, dairy goat farmers association (TWAWOSE)
was established with a purpose of ensuring the sustainability of the project through
improved management of breeding bucks, organisation of the sales of live animals and
facilitation of extension services by farmers themselves (Lie et al. 2012). Recently, a
processing centre was established by TWAWOSE and aimed at collecting milk, processing it into yoghurt and selling it in the local markets of Mgeta and beyond. In Malawi,
dairy goats have been promoted through various programmes including University
Development Linkages Project (UDLP) (UDLP 1997) through which different dairy
goat breeds were introduced by Bunda College of Agriculture, the Salima Research
Station and non-governmental organisations, including Small Scale Livestock Promotion
Programme (SSLPP) (Chigwa 2011). Unlike Tanzania, there have been more challenges
I. A. Ketto et al.
and commercialisation of the dairy goat industry. Farmers benefit from the technologies and skills in good farming practices and milk handling, while processors gain by
obtaining good quality milk and milk products. As a result, increased income and
better nutrition from dairy goats will be achieved.
1 Introduction
A large number of poor households in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) depend on the livestock for their livelihood. However, their production systems are characterised by a
low input-output system, insufficient to meet the food demands of the fast- growing
population. Low productivity of indigenous livestock and low purchasing power are
the major causes of food insecurity in the region. In particular, there is limited access
to animal protein sources such as meat, milk and eggs in poor households who mainly
depend on cereals (Otte and Chilonda 2003). There is a need to improve the existing
production systems, particularly for households in the rural areas which depend
entirely on agricultural activities for their livelihood. In Tanzania, about 50% of agricultural households keep livestock species mainly local cattle, small ruminants and
local chicken; these provide reliable pathways out of poverty and help to achieve
animal protein nutrition requirements (MALF 2016). Although indigenous livestock
species are preferred due to their adaptive characteristics to the tropical settings, they
are characterised by low productivity; therefore, it is difficult to achieve increased
animal protein production based on these animals alone.
The introduction of Norwegian dairy goats, also known as Norwegian Landrace
(NL), is one example of the successful projects intended to improve the availability of
protein products of animal origin in rural communities, where it was initially difficult to
obtain them. For example, in the Uluguru mountain areas, in Morogoro, Tanzania, the
NL goats were shown to improve nutrition and income status of the poor households of
Mgeta division (Eik et al. 2008). Consequently, household milk consumption in the division increased from 0 in 1988 to 1.6 L/day in 2012 (Kifaro et al. 2012). Since their
introduction in 1993 through collaborative research between Norwegian University of
Life Sciences (NMBU) and Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), dairy goat farming has been significantly sustained, leading to increase in the numbers of both goats and
farmers (Msalya et al. 2017). In addition, dairy goat farmers association (TWAWOSE)
was established with a purpose of ensuring the sustainability of the project through
improved management of breeding bucks, organisation of the sales of live animals and
facilitation of extension services by farmers themselves (Lie et al. 2012). Recently, a
processing centre was established by TWAWOSE and aimed at collecting milk, processing it into yoghurt and selling it in the local markets of Mgeta and beyond. In Malawi,
dairy goats have been promoted through various programmes including University
Development Linkages Project (UDLP) (UDLP 1997) through which different dairy
goat breeds were introduced by Bunda College of Agriculture, the Salima Research
Station and non-governmental organisations, including Small Scale Livestock Promotion
Programme (SSLPP) (Chigwa 2011). Unlike Tanzania, there have been more challenges
I. A. Ketto et al.