Preliminary study on slaughter and meat quality characteristics of selected strains of Tanzania shorthorn zebu

A study was carried out to assess slaughter characteristics and meat quality of five strains of Tanzanian shorthorn zebu (TSZ): Singida white (SW), Gogo (GG), Iringa red (IR), Maasai (MS) and Mbulu (MB). A total of 50 animals (25 entire bulls and 25 castrates) aged 3-4 years were sampled from five slaughter facilities in Tanzania. Slaughter traits, physicochemical properties and the response of beef from the five strains to post-mortem ageing were assessed. IR strain had the highest (P<0.05) values for estimated slaughter weight (ESW), empty body weight (EBW), hot carcass weight (HCW) and linear carcass measurements while MB strain had the lowest values for these parameters. IR strain was 48, 64, 25 kg heavier than MB in terms of ESW, EBW and HCW, respectively. MB strain had the least (P<0.05) proportion of bone in the carcass with about 3% unit less than the rest of the strains. SW strain had the highest (P<0.05) ultimate pH (5.9) while GG had the lowest (5.6). Meat from the GG strain had higher (P<0.05) values for relative redness (15.9) and yellowness (9.8) than that of other strains. Meat from the GG strain had the highest colour stability with only 0.5 units decrease in a* value even after 14 days of ageing. Meat from SW and GG strains became sufficiently tender (<55 N) just after 7 days of ageing whereas that from IR and MB became only moderately tender (55 – 75 N) even after 14 days of ageing. It is concluded that beef from GG strain is the most suitable for processing into high quality meat products owing to its high relative redness (a*), colour stability, tenderness and low pHu

Comparative analysis of partial suckling and artificial dairy kid rearing systems

Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences 2005, Vol.6(2) : 92-98Forty kids aged 1 - 1.5 months and weighing 2.5 - 8 kg were randomly allocated to two: treatments, treatment. 1 (Bucket feeding system, BFS) and treatment 2 (partial suckling system, PSS). One half (10 males, 10 females) was allocated to BFS and the other half to PSS. Breed composition of the experimental animal was 20 kids Norwegian x local crosses and 20 Galla goats. The BFS does were milked twice per day (06: 30 h and 16: 30 h) while PSS does were milked only once per day (16:30 h). Milk yield and surplus (marketable) milk were measured daily for 9 weeks of lactation and kids were weighed weekly during the same period. BFS does produced significantly (P<0.05) higher milk yield (414.96 ± 13.48 g/day) than PSS does (179.23 ± 84.24 g/day. Considering surplus milk, PSS does produced significantly (P<0.05) higher than BFS does which could not even produce enough to feed their kids. The study also showed that crossbred does gave significantly (P<0.01) higher daily milk yield and surplus milk in each treatment compared with Galla does. The kids under PSS had a significantly (P<0.01) better growth rate (42.34 ± 5.46 g/day) than BFS kids (3.92 ± 8.02 g/day) and crossbred kids grew significantly (P<0.05) better (40.09 ± 6.63 g/day) than Galla kids (6.17 ± 7.09g/day). The Gross Margin Analysis (GMA) showed that PSS has a higher gross margin (Shs. 46, 024.9) than BFS (Shs. - 153,825.20). It was concluded that PSS is a better system in terms of surplus (marketable) milk and growth of kids compared with BFS

Reducing GHG Emissions from Traditional Livestock Systems to Mitigate Changing Climate and Biodiversity

Climate change (CC) directly impacts the economy, ecosystems, water resources, weather events, health issues, desertification, sea level rise, and even political and social stability. The effects of CC affect different groups of societies differently. In Tanzania, the effects of CC have even acquired a gender dimension, whereby women are viewed as more vulnerable than men because of socioeconomic and historic barriers. CC is largely caused by anthropogenic activities, including those that increase the concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. Recent findings indicate that the livestock sector is responsible for 18 % of GHG emissions measured in the CO2 equivalent. Moreover, some gases emitted by livestock have higher potential to warm the atmosphere than CO2 and have a very long atmospheric lifetime. Methane (CH4) has 23 times the global warming potential (GWP) of CO2, whereas nitrous oxide (N2O) has 296 times the GWP of CO2. It is now estimated that the atmospheric concentrations of CH4 and N2O are increasing at a rate of approximately 0.6 % and 0.25 % per year, respectively. Cattle may emit CH4 from enteric fermentation equivalent to 2–12 % of the ingested energy, whereas produced manure can emit N2O up to 1.25 % of its weight. The estimated total CH4 and N2O emissions from Tanzanian ruminants stand at 26.17 Gg and 0.57 Gg, respectively. In this paper, we first very briefly review emissions of GHGs from different livestock production systems in Tanzania with the view of identifying the main hot spots. Then, we concentrate on the available adaptation options and the limitations on the adoption of such adaptation options in Tanzania. Emission of these GHGs per unit product varies with the level of intensification, the types of livestock kept, and manure management. Intensification of livestock production reduces the size of the land required to sustain a livestock unit and frees up the land necessary for carbon sequestration. In Tanzania, such intensification could take the form of the early harvesting and storing forage for dry-season feeding. The advantage of this intervention is twofold: young harvests have higher digestibility and emit less CH4 when fed to ruminants than mature lignified forage; use of stored roughage in the dry season will reduce the desertification of rangeland and deforestation that occur when livestock search for pastureland. Dry-season supplementation of ruminants with energy and protein-rich diets will reduce CH4 emission. The chemical treatment of crops byproducts will increase the crops’ digestibility and reduce CH4 emission from ruminants. Crossbreds of indigenous and exotic breeds are more efficient converters of feed into products like meat and milk, with less GHG emitted per unit product. The use of manure for biogas production will reduce the emission of both CH4 and N2O into the atmosphere. Shifting from liquid to solid manure management has the potential to reduce CH4 emissions. Most of these interventions, however, are not cost neutral – enhancing awareness alone will not lead to their widespread adoption. In the absence of subsidies, the adoption of these interventions will depend on the relative cost of other options. Although some traditional livestock systems in Tanzania are already coping with the impact of CC, such efforts are handicapped by inadequate resources, poor coordination, and implementation of competing measures

Reducing GHG Emissions from Traditional Livestock Systems to Mitigate Changing Climate and Biodiversity

Climate change (CC) directly impacts the economy, ecosystems, water resources, weather events, health issues, desertification, sea level rise, and even political and social stability. The effects of CC affect different groups of societies differently. In Tanzania, the effects of CC have even acquired a gender dimension, whereby women are viewed as more vulnerable than men because of socioeconomic and historic barriers. CC is largely caused by anthropogenic activities, including those that increase the concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. Recent findings indicate that the livestock sector is responsible for 18 % of GHG emissions measured in the CO2 equivalent. Moreover, some gases emitted by livestock have higher potential to warm the atmosphere than CO2 and have a very long atmospheric lifetime. Methane (CH4) has 23 times the global warming potential (GWP) of CO2, whereas nitrous oxide (N2O) has 296 times the GWP of CO2. It is now estimated that the atmospheric concentrations of CH4 and N2O are increasing at a rate of approximately 0.6 % and 0.25 % per year, respectively. Cattle may emit CH4 from enteric fermentation equivalent to 2–12 % of the ingested energy, whereas produced manure can emit N2O up to 1.25 % of its weight. The estimated total CH4 and N2O emissions from Tanzanian ruminants stand at 26.17 Gg and 0.57 Gg, respectively. In this paper, we first very briefly review emissions of GHGs from different livestock production systems in Tanzania with the view of identifying the main hot spots. Then, we concentrate on the available adaptation options and the limitations on the adoption of such adaptation options in Tanzania. Emission of these GHGs per unit product varies with the level of intensification, the types of livestock kept, and manure management. Intensification of livestock production reduces the size of the land required to sustain a livestock unit and frees up the land necessary for carbon sequestration. In Tanzania, such intensification could take the form of the early harvesting and storing forage for dry-season feeding. The advantage of this intervention is twofold: young harvests have higher digestibility and emit less CH4 when fed to ruminants than mature lignified forage; use of stored roughage in the dry season will reduce the desertification of rangeland and deforestation that occur when livestock search for pastureland. Dry-season supplementation of ruminants with energy and protein-rich diets will reduce CH4 emission. The chemical treatment of crops byproducts will increase the crops’ digestibility and reduce CH4 emission from ruminants. Crossbreds of indigenous and exotic breeds are more efficient converters of feed into products like meat and milk, with less GHG emitted per unit product. The use of manure for biogas production will reduce the emission of both CH4 and N2O into the atmosphere. Shifting from liquid to solid manure management has the potential to reduce CH4 emissions. Most of these interventions, however, are not cost neutral – enhancing awareness alone will not lead to their widespread adoption. In the absence of subsidies, the adoption of these interventions will depend on the relative cost of other options. Although some traditional livestock systems in Tanzania are already coping with the impact of CC, such efforts are handicapped by inadequate resources, poor coordination, and implementation of competing measures