TDB To Implement Pilot Project For SMP In Kilimanjaro Region

 By Valentine Oforo, Dodoma

THE Tanzania Dairy Board (TDB) has set to embark on a pilot project for the official implementation of the School Milk Program (SMP) in the country. 

Giving an exclusive interview to this publication, TDB Registrar,  Dr. George Msalya said the pilot project has been designed to take off from November this year in Kilimanjaro Region. 

"We have so far entered into agreement with the Kilimanjaro-based Galax Food and Beverages Ltd to design and produce the small-sized processed yogurt milk sachets that will be marketed to the pupils at the patriotic prices of around 500/-," he briefed.

He said as per the plan, the envisaged pilot project will be executed in some of the schools to be selected in the region mapped in the north-eastern part of the country. 

According to him, implementation of the pilot project will serve as a key podium to acquire pre-experience on how professional to run the eagerly-awaited school milk program, the initiative which will cover the whole country. 

If all goes well, when taking shape, the school milk program (SMP) is expecting to cover the whole country tarting with the schools in the areas where milk is available and the presence of dairy processing.

Expecting to gobble up to 15bn/- in order to run for at least five years, the healthful program targets to benefit students within a total of 500 schools across the country, and for both purposes, improving their (students) health and cognitive levels.

"The plan is to start with at least 100 schools in the period of 2023/2024 while other 100 schools will be added every year for the five consecutive years of the implementation and schools covered is expected to increase from 125 to 625 schools by 2027, with the targeted beneficiaries students are those aged between 4 to 19 years," the TDB chief boss, Dr. Msalya detailed. 

Under the timely program, the milk products to be distributed to the students will be the processed milk, either pasteurized, UHT, cultured milk or yoghurt depending on the availability and infrastructure of the area, and the quantity of milk supplied can are of 150mls to 200mls produced, whereby parents are sensitized about the benefits of the program and are encouraged to contribute money for the purchase of milk for their children to take during the break time.

To ensure the vital initiative see the light of the day, TDB in cooperation with the ministry of livestock and fisheries, diverse institutions from the private and public sector, and international organizations in the milk value chain have jointly bridged efforts and compiled the special Action Plan for Implementation of School Milk Program in Tanzania (2023-2028).

Among others, the main focus behind drafting of the Action Plan was to further enhance the implementation of a sustainable school milk program in Tanzania.

“Numerous records prove that in Tanzania school milk feeding programs started way back in early 2000s, nah has involved different models (ways of implementation), and has reached a peak of 125 schools and 99,000 children in the recent past. But despite the efforts, the vital program been limited in terms of coverage, access of dairy products to school children, involvement of stakeholders,” according to Dr. Msalya. 

And he added, during the past, one of the typical successful models in the implementation of the program was donor funded, thus questionable in terms of sustainability.

He detailed, among the seven specific objectives incorporates a move to enhance and strengthen participation of parents and other stakeholders in the program, to determine context specific modalities for implementation of the program, to identify mechanisms for coordination and collaboration of sustainably implementation of the school program.

 Dr. Msalya insisted that the program, SMP, was of paramount importance as it helps families support their children’s education while protecting their food security as a way also to break the intergenerational cycle of hunger and poverty that affects vulnerable families and communities.

“Implementation of this program plays a meaningful role to help spur school enrolment and reduce absenteeism whereby once the children are in schools, the program can also contribute to their learning through avoiding hunger and expanding their cognitive abilities,” Dr. Msalya observed.

To ensure the sustainability of the country-wide program, the Registrar informed that the parent ministry and the dairy board planned every financial year to construct 10 Milk Collection Centers (MCCs) and establish eight selling points to facilitate easy distribution of milk to schoolchildren.

“Together with that, he said the government has removed VAT on packaging materials, Cans, Cold rooms and Cold trucks to ensure safety, nutrition, convenience and affordability of milk,” he expounded.

Evidence from the Tanzania National School Malaria and Nutrition Survey (SMNS) of 2019 indicates that on average, children from public primary schools consumed limited diversified meals with animal source food being the least consumed food groups by majority of school children.

“It is with this ground that the livestock sector has a significant  role to play in making sure that its food system is delivering desired nutrition outcomes thus contributing to optimal health and nutrition status of school children,” Dr, Msalya noted.

Among the stakeholders that involved in the development of the Action Plan for Implementation of of School Milk Program in Tanzania (2023-2028) include the President Office, (Regional Authority and Local Government), Prime Minister’s office, ministry of education, ministry of health, Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre (TFNC), Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB).

Others are Tanzania Milk Processors and their association (TAMPA), Tanga Fresh Limited, ASA Dairies Limited, Shambani Milk, Profate Dairy, Nronga Women Dairy, Land O’Lakes Venture 37, Heifer International (Heifer Tanzania), Solidaridad, Nutrition Connect, TETRA Pack and SNV to mention but a few.