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Development of smallholder dairying in Zanzibar
Summary
K.M. Biwi
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources
P.O. Box 159, Zanzibar, 7Ianzania
The Integration of dairying ola 2-5 ha
smallholdings has proved tobe very profitable in
Zanzibar and many farmers are striving to entcr
this business. A systematic approach which
included trials of various forage grasses and
legumes on-station demonstration of croplivestock
integration on-station followed by
on-farm research, appears to have created the
necessary awareness and preparedness for the
adoption of the dairy production technology.
The rate of dissemination of the technology is
high.
Over 1000 smallholders keep crossbred or
pure-bred dairy cattle in a semi-intensive or
zero-grazing system. O1 hose who operate the
zero-grazing system, some have become
progressive farmers owning up to 10 dairy cattle
instead of the usual two to five head of cattle.
Average milkyield in the zero-grazing system
is 8 kgcow per day, with a maximum of 22
kg/co-v per day. In the seni-intensive system
average milk yield is 6 kg/cow per day with a
maximum of 15 kg/cow per day. In both
situations income has been adequate to sustain a
farm family.
With the increasing availabity of credit to
smallholders and the u~surge of tourism, the
dairy enterprise appears .- ha--- bright future.
Introduction
Policy changes from emphasis on state-owned
dairy farms to smallholder dairy started in the
early 1980s in Zanzibar. Since then, a systematic
approach has been initiated to create awareness,
disseminate knowledge and finally to advise
smallholders on the basics and management of a
dairy enterprise. Currently the increasing
demand for milk is influenced by the expansion
of tourist hotels and guest houses. In response to
the demand for milk products, more smallholders
are entering the business.
This paper discusses approaches to and
present status and future prospects of dairying
in Zanzibar.
Infrastructure
There has been a strong belief among local
livestnck keepers that crossbred and pure-bred
173
animals, especially calves, are weaker than local
Coast zebu calves, fever. in that Investigations the former often by Juma die of East and
Shambwana (19F5) confirm this belief. In order
to reduce the disease risk, the Government has
set up animal health and production centres in
each district, 18 centres for dipping against ticks
and one veterinary investigation centre. Above
all, an effective disease control extension system
has been established in which extension agents
are assigned to targeted dairy smallholders.
Other infrastructure designed o assist the
smallholders in dairy production include a
livestock feed mill and heifer multiplication
units. The multiplication units also serve as
training centres for smallholders. These were
established to control diseases, reduce mortalities
and to transfer dairy technology
packages.
Multilocational trials on grasses
and legumes
The purpose of the multilocational trials was to
testvarious forage l-iates, grasses and browses
for their adaptability and performance on
different soil types and in various environments.
These trials were supported by pot experiments
to
any determine
trace-element soil nutrient
deficiencies. status
The and
pot pinpoint
rietcofmdthgodetltyfKnnoexpe­
soils;
riments
soils
confirmed the good fertility
derived
of Knongo
from limestones showed
deficiencies in one or more of the trace elements,
copper, zinc and manganese (Reynolds, 1981;
Kayastha, 1982).
Forage grasses and legumes found suitable in
multilocational tri3ls included elephant grass,
Guatemala grasF, Signal grass, Paragrass,
Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala,
Tropical Kudni and Clitoria. After a thorough
agronomic asessment of these grasses and
legumes they %ere recommended for planting
(Servoz, 1983).
Crop/livestock integration
As Zanzibar is a small country, zero-grazing was
envisaged as being an efficient means of
integrating crops and livestock. A study was
made ofan on-station model farm consisting of a
farm family with two hectares of land growing
food crops, forage grasses and leLumes and
keeping two or three dairy cattle and poultry.
This examined whether the family cou'td thrive
using family labour and earnings from their crop