TDB To Implement 452bn/- Worth Project For Strengthening Milk Collection System, Capacity In Tanzania

By VALENTINE OFORO 

THE Tanzania Dairy Board (TDB) is finalizing process to start implementation of the major 452bn/- worth project for the formalization and improvement of milk collection sector across the country.

The envisaged project, to commence in 2024/25 fiscal year, will incorporate installation of over 100 vast ultra-modern milk collection centers, as well as a total of 700 small centers across the country.

Giving an exclusive interview during the ongoing 48 Edition of the Dar es Salaam International Trader Fair (DITF 2024), the Registrar of the Tanzania Dairy Board (TDB) Prof. George Msalya said the project is focusing to ensure all milk produced by the dairy farmers in the country are marketed through the recommended formal sector.

Currently, he detailed, the farmers in the country are producing a total of 3.9 billion liters of milk annually, worth around 7bn/-, out of which, between 10 and 14 percent are collected at the milk collection centers (MCC).

He added the development enables at least 3 percent of the milk to reach to the milk processing factories, and the remaining percentage are marketed through the informal sector, which is very risk, according to him.

“The project we’re going to implement will work to ensure enough milk collection points are available at all areas with milk production records in order to have all milk produced by the dairy farmers across the country is available to the users through the formal and safe system,” he informed.

And as per to implement the project, the Don said there will be a special package to educate the farmers over the important to channel their milk through the set milk collection centers in order to feed the available factories in the country with enough milk to process, but also, to ensure for the health security of the consumers.

 Registrar of the Tanzania Dairy Board (TDB) Prof. George 

“Currently, there are a total of 252 milk collection centers in different parts of the country where the dairy farmers can market their milk at reasonable and profitable prices to fetch good profits rather than selling randomly through unchecked markets, which is against the set regulations,” he advised.

He unveiled that the country is with at least 152 registered milk processing plants, saying the board was working to attract more potential investors to chip in and invest for the smooth metamorphosis of the vital sector.

“Consumption of milk per individual annually has substantially improved from 20 liters to at least 67.5 liters, the impressive development which requires the factories to process more milk to help heightening the ratio,” he noted.

 He said TDB in cooperation with the various development partners in the country’s dairy sector has so far, and will continue to implement a series for initiative to help improve performance of the sector, targeting to escalate production as well as milk consumption from grassroots.

“Currently, we’re implementing the school milk feeding program, the five year program initiative which works to impact a total of 500 schools across the country,” he said.

The program, according to him, gobbles up to 15bn/- involves distribution of processed milk, either pasteurized, UHT, and cultured milk or yoghurt to the benefited students.

“The program started by covering at least 100 schools in the period of 2023/2024, whereby as per the relevant plans, 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,” he detailed.

In implementation of the program, Prof Msalya said TDB is partnering the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, and diverse institutions from the private and public sector, and international organizations in the milk value chain.

He observed that, 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,” Prof Msalya noted.