396
supplement the feeding of their young stock regularly, in times when the animals
cannot sustain themselves on grazing alone. The primary explanations for the recommendation were that supplementation would lead to increased production of
meat and reduced variable costs, that is, feeds and drugs. Our study was limited to
steers. Future studies should include supplementation of cows to obtain annual calving and use of crop by-products instead of concentrates.
1 Introduction
By 2050, global food consumption is expected to rise by 60% compared to
2005–2007 levels (FAO 2009). In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), including Tanzania,
this figure is projected to be even higher due to an estimated population increase of
250% and a three-fold increase in cereal demand (Van Ittersum et al. 2016).
Tanzania’s total land base is 88.6 million hectares. Approximately 60 million hectares of this land base is rangeland suitable for livestock production (Mushi et al.
2015). Tanzania has a cattle population of 26 million (FAO 2019a), predominantly
consisting of the indigenous Zebu breed. In 2012, the overall livestock and beef sector’s contributions to the national GDP were 4.6% and 2%, respectively (MLDF
2013). Meat consumption in developing countries like Tanzania is low in comparison to western countries (FAO 2005), amounting to around 10 kg per capita at the
millennium, where beef constituted approximately 7 kg.
Tanzanian livestock sector dominated by indigenous cattle (Zebu) display low
productivity levels (Michael et al. 2018). Significant seasonal variations affect the
availability and quality of feeds, resulting in substantial differences in weight gains
and losses for cattle during the rainy and dry seasons. Older animals characterise the
cattle stock, with age at slaughtering around 5–6 years (Selemani et al. 2015; Mushi
et al. 2015). Moreover, available grazing land has been decreasing due, in part, to
increase in areas for crop production. In the study area, the Hanang District in
Manyara region, 40,000 ha of grazing areas were converted into wheat fields in the
1980s (Lane and Pretty 1990). Also, the role of climate change as well as the varied
and suboptimal management practices seems to be key factors contributing to
reduced productivity of Tanzania rangelands (Sangeda and Maole 2014).
In contrast, over the last two decades, the Ethiopian livestock sector has significantly increased its productivity, in part due to improved feeding and management.
One of the productivity-enhancing measures has been that bulls and steers are
bought from nomadic areas and transported to grain-producing areas and fattened
for approximately 90 days in feedlots before slaughtering (Tolera and Eik 2019).
These animals were fed concentrates and roughages, mostly derived from crop byproducts. Such feedlots vary in size, ranging from a few cattle to several thousand.
This approach has led to increased economic activity throughout the entire value
chain. Pastoralists improve their income by selling animals, crop farmers generate
revenue from the sale of crop by-products, and feedlot system administrators derive
profit when ‘finished’ animals finally make their way into local or export markets.
A. S. Ringheim et al.
supplement the feeding of their young stock regularly, in times when the animals
cannot sustain themselves on grazing alone. The primary explanations for the recommendation were that supplementation would lead to increased production of
meat and reduced variable costs, that is, feeds and drugs. Our study was limited to
steers. Future studies should include supplementation of cows to obtain annual calving and use of crop by-products instead of concentrates.
1 Introduction
By 2050, global food consumption is expected to rise by 60% compared to
2005–2007 levels (FAO 2009). In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), including Tanzania,
this figure is projected to be even higher due to an estimated population increase of
250% and a three-fold increase in cereal demand (Van Ittersum et al. 2016).
Tanzania’s total land base is 88.6 million hectares. Approximately 60 million hectares of this land base is rangeland suitable for livestock production (Mushi et al.
2015). Tanzania has a cattle population of 26 million (FAO 2019a), predominantly
consisting of the indigenous Zebu breed. In 2012, the overall livestock and beef sector’s contributions to the national GDP were 4.6% and 2%, respectively (MLDF
2013). Meat consumption in developing countries like Tanzania is low in comparison to western countries (FAO 2005), amounting to around 10 kg per capita at the
millennium, where beef constituted approximately 7 kg.
Tanzanian livestock sector dominated by indigenous cattle (Zebu) display low
productivity levels (Michael et al. 2018). Significant seasonal variations affect the
availability and quality of feeds, resulting in substantial differences in weight gains
and losses for cattle during the rainy and dry seasons. Older animals characterise the
cattle stock, with age at slaughtering around 5–6 years (Selemani et al. 2015; Mushi
et al. 2015). Moreover, available grazing land has been decreasing due, in part, to
increase in areas for crop production. In the study area, the Hanang District in
Manyara region, 40,000 ha of grazing areas were converted into wheat fields in the
1980s (Lane and Pretty 1990). Also, the role of climate change as well as the varied
and suboptimal management practices seems to be key factors contributing to
reduced productivity of Tanzania rangelands (Sangeda and Maole 2014).
In contrast, over the last two decades, the Ethiopian livestock sector has significantly increased its productivity, in part due to improved feeding and management.
One of the productivity-enhancing measures has been that bulls and steers are
bought from nomadic areas and transported to grain-producing areas and fattened
for approximately 90 days in feedlots before slaughtering (Tolera and Eik 2019).
These animals were fed concentrates and roughages, mostly derived from crop byproducts. Such feedlots vary in size, ranging from a few cattle to several thousand.
This approach has led to increased economic activity throughout the entire value
chain. Pastoralists improve their income by selling animals, crop farmers generate
revenue from the sale of crop by-products, and feedlot system administrators derive
profit when ‘finished’ animals finally make their way into local or export markets.
A. S. Ringheim et al.