296
world with an advanced and comprehensive recording and breeding scheme for
dairy goats, particularly the NL goats (Ådnøy 2014). Over the years, the goal of
breeders of NL goats has been to improve production of the goats while maintaining
their identity; and for these reasons, their breeding program comprised of over
30,000 dairy goats in 340 herds, which are controlled in terms of records (Blichfeldt
2013). Over 90% of the farmers in the country willingly participate in the goat
recording scheme operated by the Farmers Dairy Cooperative (TINE), in which
eight important traits are recorded daily and are included in the breeding goals.
These traits are daily milk yield, milk content such as percentage dry matter (DM),
crude protein (CP), fat, lactose, udder/teat conformation, milk speed evacuation,
free fatty acid contents, and occurrence of mastitis. The records are analyzed to
obtain annual values for each of these traits per animal or per herd; and in all these
cases, individuals’ pedigree information is recorded (Ådnøy et al. 2000). Farmers
are encouraged to test best buck kids within own herds and to use semen for introducing new genes. This is possible since farmers keep records and have large herd
sizes per farm, and they control the animals. Also, the infrastructure necessary for
goat recording and performance evaluation is well articulated from the farm to the
institutional level (Blichfeldt 2013). To keep genetic variation high and increase
milk quality, Norway occasionally imports superior genes from other countries. For
example, between 2007 and 2011, French Alpine semen were imported and made
available to farmers (Ådnøy 2014). Every year, semen from elite bucks are stored
for possible future use (Blichfeldt 2013). In addition, genotypes from special populations, i.e., wild goats, are secured in the same manner. By doing so, it is possible
to safeguard biodiversity and adapt the breeding goals if needed. The NL breed is
adapted to and bred under Norwegian conditions that are very different from climatic and other environmental conditions in Tanzania and Malawi. NL and other
exotic dairy genotypes will normally have a higher milk production potential than
local SEA goats, but they will also be more vulnerable to diseases and be less robust
to African conditions. Therefore, we propose that goats descending from imported
AI should be tested and selected for breeding under conditions similar to where they
will be used in the future. A blend of such imported stock and local goats should be
tested, and the best should be selected to have a more robust dairy goat breed in
the future.
It is important for developing countries including Tanzania and Malawi to maintain sustainable replacement animals and ensure that these are raised carefully and
have better genetic merit compared to their parents. It is therefore recommended
that the breeding program for dairy goats becomes continuous and the resulting
populations are evaluated (Kifaro et al. 2007). This has been shown to be the starting point of the goat milk value chain which determines the success of subsequent
value chain nodes. Recruiting breeding bucks from local communities within one
locality such as Mgeta is accepted as having greater genetic potential for traits such
as adaptability than importing from temperate countries. In Tanzania, some of the
NL bucks imported from Norway did not perform as expected, and some died before
G. Msalya et al.
world with an advanced and comprehensive recording and breeding scheme for
dairy goats, particularly the NL goats (Ådnøy 2014). Over the years, the goal of
breeders of NL goats has been to improve production of the goats while maintaining
their identity; and for these reasons, their breeding program comprised of over
30,000 dairy goats in 340 herds, which are controlled in terms of records (Blichfeldt
2013). Over 90% of the farmers in the country willingly participate in the goat
recording scheme operated by the Farmers Dairy Cooperative (TINE), in which
eight important traits are recorded daily and are included in the breeding goals.
These traits are daily milk yield, milk content such as percentage dry matter (DM),
crude protein (CP), fat, lactose, udder/teat conformation, milk speed evacuation,
free fatty acid contents, and occurrence of mastitis. The records are analyzed to
obtain annual values for each of these traits per animal or per herd; and in all these
cases, individuals’ pedigree information is recorded (Ådnøy et al. 2000). Farmers
are encouraged to test best buck kids within own herds and to use semen for introducing new genes. This is possible since farmers keep records and have large herd
sizes per farm, and they control the animals. Also, the infrastructure necessary for
goat recording and performance evaluation is well articulated from the farm to the
institutional level (Blichfeldt 2013). To keep genetic variation high and increase
milk quality, Norway occasionally imports superior genes from other countries. For
example, between 2007 and 2011, French Alpine semen were imported and made
available to farmers (Ådnøy 2014). Every year, semen from elite bucks are stored
for possible future use (Blichfeldt 2013). In addition, genotypes from special populations, i.e., wild goats, are secured in the same manner. By doing so, it is possible
to safeguard biodiversity and adapt the breeding goals if needed. The NL breed is
adapted to and bred under Norwegian conditions that are very different from climatic and other environmental conditions in Tanzania and Malawi. NL and other
exotic dairy genotypes will normally have a higher milk production potential than
local SEA goats, but they will also be more vulnerable to diseases and be less robust
to African conditions. Therefore, we propose that goats descending from imported
AI should be tested and selected for breeding under conditions similar to where they
will be used in the future. A blend of such imported stock and local goats should be
tested, and the best should be selected to have a more robust dairy goat breed in
the future.
It is important for developing countries including Tanzania and Malawi to maintain sustainable replacement animals and ensure that these are raised carefully and
have better genetic merit compared to their parents. It is therefore recommended
that the breeding program for dairy goats becomes continuous and the resulting
populations are evaluated (Kifaro et al. 2007). This has been shown to be the starting point of the goat milk value chain which determines the success of subsequent
value chain nodes. Recruiting breeding bucks from local communities within one
locality such as Mgeta is accepted as having greater genetic potential for traits such
as adaptability than importing from temperate countries. In Tanzania, some of the
NL bucks imported from Norway did not perform as expected, and some died before
G. Msalya et al.