Browsing by Author "Kifaro, G C"

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Performance of exotic dairy cattle in the southern highlands of Tanzania and prospects for genetic improvement
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 1995) Kifaro, G C
Th i s study aimed was at evaluating the performance of exotic dairy cattle in five large farms in Iringa and Mbeya reg i ons. Mai n aspects stud i ed i ncluded calf mortality rates, reproductive traits, milk yield, milk composition, and lifetime performance traits. Rates of abortion ranged from 1.8 to 9.5% while rates of stillbirths varied between 3.4 and 9.8%. Death rates ranged from 9.3 to 25.5% for unweaned calves and from 13.2 to 29.6% for weaned calves. Diarrhoea/ scours, pneumonia and nutritional problems were the main causes of calf deaths. Mean ages at first calving and calving intervals for the five farms ranged from 33 to 39 months and 375 to 489 days, respectively. Overall mean lactation milk yield, lactation 1 engt-h, dry period for individual farms ranged from 2197 kg, 270 to respective!y. The most to 2642 affecting calvi ng, 1actati on and pari ty days 321 and i mportant performance current 86 to 165 non-geneti c traits calving were days, factors year i nterval . of Milk production in most farms was declining, a trend attributed to deterioration estimates calving were i n management. 0.14±0.01, i nterval, Weighted 0.21±0.02 1actati on length and and repeatabi1ity 0.37±0.01 lactation for milk yield, respectively. Mean percentages of milk components on test-days did not differ much from those recorded for Friesians elsewhere in the tropics. Stage of lactation, calendar month, parity and year of recording highly influenced their variations. Milk yield on test-days had strong negative correlations with BF% (-0.47) and protein percent (-0.53). BF and protein percentages were positively correlated (0.59). Day-to-day variation of milk yield was higher at Uyole than at Thimbu and was associated with level of milk production and inaccurate recording. The most variable milk component was protein whose variation was ascribed mainly to errors of determination. Part and cumulative milk records were highly influenced by parity, year and season of calving. Effect of calving interval was noticeable from the sixth month of lactation. Records in mid-1actation had the highest correlation with 305-day yield. Ratio and regression extension factors were derived based on findings from this study. Performance in 1i feti me traits were similar to those reported elsewhere in the tropics. Age at first calving and first lactation yield had high association with lifetime traits used in this study and were important estimators of lifetime milk production. Several options of culling procedures were proposed and discussed. It was concluded that there is great opportunity for genetic improvement of dairy cattle in the southern calves i s highlands of i mproved, the downward trend in performance is reversed, Tanzania provided viability of recordi ng is improved and a culling procedure is adopted.
Situation analysis and prospects for establishing a dairy goat breeding program in Tanzania
(Livestock Research for Rural Development, 2017) Nziku, Z C; Kifaro, G C; Eik, L O; Steine, T; Msalya, G; Ådnøy, T
Dairy goats in Tanzania accounts for two percent of the 17 million goats in total. Toggenburg, Saanen, Norwegian, Anglo Nubian and French alpine are dominant exotic dairy breeds distributed in all regions of Tanzania but abundance in Manyara, Morogoro, Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions. Both public and private organizations have played in importing and distribution the exotic breeds in the country. For example, the collaboration between in Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) participated importing the Norwegian goat breed. The FARM Africa (Food and Agricultural Research Management) and HPI (Heifer Project International) responsible for Toggenburg and Saanen dairy breeds. The support with dairy goats has proven to be rather effective in improving food security and livelihood of people who owned them. Long term benefits of the goats can be realized if breeding principles are well considered e.g. reliable source of replacement breeding stock. As a step towards achieving that, a Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats (SWOT) analysis of a dairy goat breeding program in Tanzania today were analysed in this paper. The analysis revealed potential possibilities for establishing sustainable dairy goat breeding program in the country. However, poor and unreliable records were the main hindrances for sustainable genetic improvement of goats in the country. Alternatively, this paper propose a simplified breeding plan that benefits from progress made elsewhere through occasional semen import for AI in one breeding nucleus herd in the country, multiplied by another unit/centre for distribution to clients. Key roles and risks of private and public institutions participating in implementing the breeding plan are highlighted.