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of livestock species, including goats, is probably the main reason for low income,
poverty, and increasing animal protein deficiencies particularly among children and
women in the rural communities of Tanzania and Malawi, which depend on livestock as their major economic activity (MLFD 2018). In addition, the production
systems for these goats are poor and challenged by lack of sufficient nutritious
feeds and prevalence of diseases and recently face the negative effects of climatic
variability (Nziku et al. 2016). It is therefore difficult to sustain production of sufficient animal protein based on the indigenous livestock species. Interventions to
improve trait production and production through genetics and management are
required in developing countries.
Dairy goats were introduced and have shown to improve nutrition and income
status of the poor households in developing countries including Tanzania (Eik et al.
2008). Household milk consumption in one division of Tanzania increased from
0 in 1988 to 1.6 (L/day) in 2012 after introduction of Norwegian Landrace (NL)
dairy goats in 1993 (Kifaro et al. 2012). In addition, the income of households keeping dairy goats in the same community increased considerably (Msalya et al. 2017).
In different communities in Tanzania, Chenyambuga et al. (2014) showed that
household income obtained from dairy goat farming was between 25% and 30%. In
Malawi, the importance of dairy goats was perceived, and dairy goats have been
distributed to farmers under projects such as University Development Linkage
Project (UDLP) and NORAD ARDEP Project (UDLP 1997; Lungu 2012) and
through non governmental organizations (NGOs) including Small Scale Livestock
Promotion Program (SSLPP) (Chigwa 2011). Moreover, dairy goats are appropriate
for combating the challenges of climatic impacts while providing considerable
income and nutritional needs of the poor households compared to large ruminants
(Zervas and Tsiplakou 2013). Compared to cows, goats are relatively inexpensive to
keep, require less fodder and a smaller plot of land for grazing while producing sufficient milk, and are hence suitable for rural poor households (Peacock 2007).
Additional attributes of goats include their adaptation to a wide range of climates
and management practices, as well as their ability to thrive in arid and semiarid
lands that are unfavorable for crop production and other purposes (Zervas and
Tsiplakou 2013). In addition, they produce fewer emissions than cattle and fit well
into integrated and climate-friendly farming systems in countries negatively hit by
the impacts of climate change (Nziku et al. 2016). For these reasons, dairy goats
have become popular in Tanzania and Malawi, and their number and demand are
increasing. It has been estimated that dairy goats form 2% of all goats in Tanzania,
while the number of these goats was estimated at about 4% of the total goats of
Malawi (Chigwa 2011; MLFD 2018). The NL and Saanen are the dominant dairy
breeds in Tanzania and Malawi, respectively. Mgeta division in Tanzania is the
major breeding and distribution center for NL, while Babati district in Manyara
region is the major area for breeding of Toggenburg goats. Mgeta has been the main
center in the country that supplies goats to the farmers; and for this reason, the cropping rate is high, leading to fast-generation turnovers (Kifaro et al. 2007). In Malawi,
dairy goat breeding was established at Bunda College of Agriculture (BCA), now
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), where
mainly the Saanen breed was tested. At different times, the NL, Damascus, and
The Need for Farmer Support and Record Keeping to Enhance Sustainable Dairy Goat…
of livestock species, including goats, is probably the main reason for low income,
poverty, and increasing animal protein deficiencies particularly among children and
women in the rural communities of Tanzania and Malawi, which depend on livestock as their major economic activity (MLFD 2018). In addition, the production
systems for these goats are poor and challenged by lack of sufficient nutritious
feeds and prevalence of diseases and recently face the negative effects of climatic
variability (Nziku et al. 2016). It is therefore difficult to sustain production of sufficient animal protein based on the indigenous livestock species. Interventions to
improve trait production and production through genetics and management are
required in developing countries.
Dairy goats were introduced and have shown to improve nutrition and income
status of the poor households in developing countries including Tanzania (Eik et al.
2008). Household milk consumption in one division of Tanzania increased from
0 in 1988 to 1.6 (L/day) in 2012 after introduction of Norwegian Landrace (NL)
dairy goats in 1993 (Kifaro et al. 2012). In addition, the income of households keeping dairy goats in the same community increased considerably (Msalya et al. 2017).
In different communities in Tanzania, Chenyambuga et al. (2014) showed that
household income obtained from dairy goat farming was between 25% and 30%. In
Malawi, the importance of dairy goats was perceived, and dairy goats have been
distributed to farmers under projects such as University Development Linkage
Project (UDLP) and NORAD ARDEP Project (UDLP 1997; Lungu 2012) and
through non governmental organizations (NGOs) including Small Scale Livestock
Promotion Program (SSLPP) (Chigwa 2011). Moreover, dairy goats are appropriate
for combating the challenges of climatic impacts while providing considerable
income and nutritional needs of the poor households compared to large ruminants
(Zervas and Tsiplakou 2013). Compared to cows, goats are relatively inexpensive to
keep, require less fodder and a smaller plot of land for grazing while producing sufficient milk, and are hence suitable for rural poor households (Peacock 2007).
Additional attributes of goats include their adaptation to a wide range of climates
and management practices, as well as their ability to thrive in arid and semiarid
lands that are unfavorable for crop production and other purposes (Zervas and
Tsiplakou 2013). In addition, they produce fewer emissions than cattle and fit well
into integrated and climate-friendly farming systems in countries negatively hit by
the impacts of climate change (Nziku et al. 2016). For these reasons, dairy goats
have become popular in Tanzania and Malawi, and their number and demand are
increasing. It has been estimated that dairy goats form 2% of all goats in Tanzania,
while the number of these goats was estimated at about 4% of the total goats of
Malawi (Chigwa 2011; MLFD 2018). The NL and Saanen are the dominant dairy
breeds in Tanzania and Malawi, respectively. Mgeta division in Tanzania is the
major breeding and distribution center for NL, while Babati district in Manyara
region is the major area for breeding of Toggenburg goats. Mgeta has been the main
center in the country that supplies goats to the farmers; and for this reason, the cropping rate is high, leading to fast-generation turnovers (Kifaro et al. 2007). In Malawi,
dairy goat breeding was established at Bunda College of Agriculture (BCA), now
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), where
mainly the Saanen breed was tested. At different times, the NL, Damascus, and
The Need for Farmer Support and Record Keeping to Enhance Sustainable Dairy Goat…