Africa-Press – Tanzania. TANZANIA Agricultural Development Bank (TADB) has appealed to eligible dairy farmers, livestock keepers and milk processors to apply for loans in order to put the sub-sector on a proper footing and strengthen the dairy value chain.
The TADB Zonal Manager, Southern Highlands Zone, Mr Alphonce Mokoki, said the subsector has the potential to grow fast and contribute to the growth of the national economy.
“Our bank is ready to give loans to eligible applicants in the sub-sector so that milk production increases in the country. “I call upon dairy farmers and livestock keepers to apply for loans in order to grow this sector,” Mr Mokoki said, while addressing a public gathering at the climax of the festivities to mark the Day of Drinking Milk in Schools.
Mr Mokoki further explained that using farmers associations, the bank has so far loaned 122 successful applicants.
“We have given loans to 122 seen as 86 men and 36 women. We are going to give 86 dairy cattle to a cooperative society in Busokelo District, because we want to see the dairy sub-sector growing,” he said.
Iringa, Mbeya, Songwe, Njombe, Ruvuma and Rukwa regions have ideal climate for dairy farming and called upon the farmers in the regions to seize the opportunity and engage in serious dairy farming.
The manager said children drinking milk in schools is one of the ways to improve their diet, adding that production should increase in the country.
Representing the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Mr Stephen Michael, said the 2020/21 cattle census shows that the country has 33.9 million cattle.
“We have second biggest population of cattle in Africa. It is only pertinent that we use every opportunity available to use to increase milk production for existing and future milk processing industries,” he said, adding that there are many opportunities to exploit in the milk value chain.
Reached for a comment, Mbeya Regional Commissioner Juma Homera had similar opinion, saying: “Milk drinking habit will save children from being stunted.” Expert statistics show that Tanzania has significant dairy livestock resources and has the potential to transform the lives and incomes of smallholder farmers along the dairy value chain.
Milk production of local cattle is put at 1-3 litres per animal. The TADB is battling to change the low milk production challenge in the country and by June this year the bank had disbursed 12.08bn/- loans to keepers.
I beg for loan to boost my small milk busses