Browsing by Author "Laswai, G."

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Enhancing livestock productivity through feed and feeding interventions in India and Tanzania
(International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), 2015) Lukuyu, B.; Ravichandran, T.; Maass, B.; Laswai, G.; Bwire, J.; Duncan, A.
Feed interventions often do not work due to the ‘top-down’ approach and blanket promotion irrespective of the context. The MilkIT project’s innovation platforms demonstrated a new way of addressing feed issues. Rapid assessments and the platform discussions ensured producers were strongly engaged in designing and implementing interventions. Participatory action research and training helped to address the problems identified, while the action research centred on introducing improved forages, pasture improvement, reducing feed wastage, feeding adequate rations, and feed conservation. Producers tested different practices, while local researchers monitored the trials. The types of institutions and actors involved in an innovation platform will depend on the particular situation. Innovation platforms may identify issues that a standard research and development approach might not. The entry points will depend on the situation and on the needs of the platform members. It may be important to link interventions to ‘pull factors’ such as markets. As solutions emerge and are tested and accepted, their sustainability must be considered: the trials must be located in the right place, and local communities (and especially women) must have ownership of the process.
Meat yield and quality of Tanzania Shorthorn Zebu cattle finished on molasses/maize grain with agro-processing by-products in 90 days feedlot period
(Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics, 2016) Asimwe, L.; Kimambo, A.; Laswai, G.; Mtenga, L.; Weisbjerg, M.; Madsen, J.; Safari, J.
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding molasses or maize grain with agro-processing by-products on yield and quality of meat from Tanzania shorthorn zebu (TSZ) cattle. Forty five steers aged 2.5 to 3.0 years with 200±5.4 kg body weight were allocated into five dietary treatments namely hominy feed with molasses (HFMO), rice polishing with molasses (RPMO), hominy feed with maize meal (HFMM), rice polishing with maize meal (RPMM) and maize meal with molasses (MMMO). Ad libitum amount of each dietary treatment and hay were offered to nine steers for 90 days. Cooking loss (CL) and Warner Bratzler shear force (WBSF) values were determined on M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum aged for 3, 6, 9 and 12 days. Steers fed on HFMO diet had higher (P < 0.05) nutrient intake (86.39 MJ/d energy; 867 g/d CP), weight gain (919 g/d) and half carcass weight (75.8 kg) than those fed other diets. Meat of steers from all diets was tender with average WBSF values of 47.9 Ncm−2. The CL (22.0±0.61%) and WBSF (53.4± 0.70 N cm−2) were highest in meat aged for 3 days followed by 6, 9 and 12 days. WBSF values for meat aged for 9 and 12 days from steers fed HFMO and RPMM diets were similar and lower than those on other dietary treatments× aging periods. Overall, molasses and hominy feed can be used to replace maize meal in feedlot finishing diets to spare its use in animal feeds.
Rapid appraisal of dairy value chains in Morogoro and Tanga regions in Tanzania
(CGIAR, 2013) Sikira, A. N.; Ndanu, H.; Laswai, G.; Nandonde, S. W.
The livestock production sub-sector is the second employer next to agriculture in Tanzania. Of 4.9 million agricultural households, about 36% keep livestock (35% are engaged in both crop and livestock production; only 1% are purely livestock keepers). The livestock sector contributed 5.9% to total GDP in 2006, of which dairy production contributed about 30%, after beef production (40%). Other stock provided 30%. Livestock not only contributes to the national GDP but also provides food (meat, milk and eggs) to communities. The sector therefore acts as a living bank as it acts as a source of income for the livestock keepers. Furthermore, the sector contributes manure and draft power (Njombe and Msanga, 2009).