282
tenance. In Tanzania, other large processing plants can help the farmer increase
production by providing assistance on optimum feeding practices and education in
milk handling and entrepreneurship (Msalya et al. 2016). Other available options in
Tanzania include the model of operation adopted by the Tanga Dairy Cooperative
Union (TDCU), a smallholder dairy cattle farmer union in Tanga, northern Tanzania.
In this model, Tanga Fresh Limited (TFL), one of the major milk processors in the
country, created a reliable market for the fresh milk from the smallholder dairy
farmers within the TDCU (Nell et al. 2014). TFL processes mainly ultra-hightemperature (UHT) treated milk, sour milk and yoghurts (plain and flavoured)
which are sold in the major cities within the country. This and other commercial
processors both in Tanzania and Malawi can work with farmers, whereby farmers
send milk to nearby collection centres for bulking and further transportation to milk
processing plants.
5 Conclusions
Innovations in the dairy goat management including feeding, milk handling, and
disease control and milk processing are the key steps for the improvements of dairy
goat productivity, marketing and the income of the poor dairy goat farmers in rural
communities of Tanzania and Malawi. Goat milk possesses characteristics which
make it a suitable substitute for cow milk with respect to human nutrition and raw
material for the processing of various milk products. However, smallholder dairy
farmers in developing countries lack sufficient capital to purchase agricultural
inputs (i.e. animal feeds, veterinary services, etc.) and knowledge in the production
of quality milk as the raw material for milk processing. The involvement of the
private sector (i.e. milk processors) is an important strategy in the implementation
of the innovations within the dairy goat sector in Tanzania and Malawi. Through
these improvements of dairy goat husbandry and marketing strategies, dairy goat
farmers will deliver quality milk to the milk collection centres and to the dairy factory for the processing of high-quality milk products, which will be available to the
distant and larger markets. This will improve the living standards of dairy goat
farmers and will add to the animal protein source for the undernourished infants in
Tanzania and Malawi.
Acknowledgements The Royal Norwegian Government through NORAD supports various
research and development (R&D) projects for Norwegian dairy goats in Tanzania and Malawi. A
significant piece of information to write this paper has been drawn from these projects. Until
recently NORAD was supporting the programme for Enhancing Pro-poor Innovations in Natural
Resources and Agricultural Value Chains (EPINAV), including the project for upscaling dairy
goats’ technologies at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA). In Malawi, NORAD supports the
programme for Capacity Building for Managing Climate Change in Malawi (CABMACC) at the
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR). SUA and LUANAR collaborate with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) in implementing the
programme.
I. A. Ketto et al.
tenance. In Tanzania, other large processing plants can help the farmer increase
production by providing assistance on optimum feeding practices and education in
milk handling and entrepreneurship (Msalya et al. 2016). Other available options in
Tanzania include the model of operation adopted by the Tanga Dairy Cooperative
Union (TDCU), a smallholder dairy cattle farmer union in Tanga, northern Tanzania.
In this model, Tanga Fresh Limited (TFL), one of the major milk processors in the
country, created a reliable market for the fresh milk from the smallholder dairy
farmers within the TDCU (Nell et al. 2014). TFL processes mainly ultra-hightemperature (UHT) treated milk, sour milk and yoghurts (plain and flavoured)
which are sold in the major cities within the country. This and other commercial
processors both in Tanzania and Malawi can work with farmers, whereby farmers
send milk to nearby collection centres for bulking and further transportation to milk
processing plants.
5 Conclusions
Innovations in the dairy goat management including feeding, milk handling, and
disease control and milk processing are the key steps for the improvements of dairy
goat productivity, marketing and the income of the poor dairy goat farmers in rural
communities of Tanzania and Malawi. Goat milk possesses characteristics which
make it a suitable substitute for cow milk with respect to human nutrition and raw
material for the processing of various milk products. However, smallholder dairy
farmers in developing countries lack sufficient capital to purchase agricultural
inputs (i.e. animal feeds, veterinary services, etc.) and knowledge in the production
of quality milk as the raw material for milk processing. The involvement of the
private sector (i.e. milk processors) is an important strategy in the implementation
of the innovations within the dairy goat sector in Tanzania and Malawi. Through
these improvements of dairy goat husbandry and marketing strategies, dairy goat
farmers will deliver quality milk to the milk collection centres and to the dairy factory for the processing of high-quality milk products, which will be available to the
distant and larger markets. This will improve the living standards of dairy goat
farmers and will add to the animal protein source for the undernourished infants in
Tanzania and Malawi.
Acknowledgements The Royal Norwegian Government through NORAD supports various
research and development (R&D) projects for Norwegian dairy goats in Tanzania and Malawi. A
significant piece of information to write this paper has been drawn from these projects. Until
recently NORAD was supporting the programme for Enhancing Pro-poor Innovations in Natural
Resources and Agricultural Value Chains (EPINAV), including the project for upscaling dairy
goats’ technologies at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA). In Malawi, NORAD supports the
programme for Capacity Building for Managing Climate Change in Malawi (CABMACC) at the
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR). SUA and LUANAR collaborate with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) in implementing the
programme.
I. A. Ketto et al.