12 research outputs found
Enhancing livestock productivity through feed and feeding interventions in India and Tanzania
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
Preliminary Evaluation of Slaughter Value and Carcass Composition of Indigenous Sheep and Goats from Traditional Production System in Tanzania
The aim of the pilot study was to evaluate slaughter characteristics and carcass composition of indigenous long fat tailed sheep and Small East African goats purchased from the auction markets slaughtered at 1.5 to 2 yrs of age and 20 kg to 25 kg live weight. The animals were slaughtered according to halal standard procedures. The left half carcasses were jointed into eight wholesale joints, and dissected into muscles, fat and bone, which were weighed separately. Sheep had greater (p<0.05) slaughter BW (22.29 kg vs 20.50 kg) and empty BW (20.17 kg vs 18.67 kg) than goats (p<0.05). Dressing percentages were lower (p<0.001) in sheep than goats when carcass weight was expressed as percentage of slaughter BW (42.31% and 47.15%) and empty BW (46.75% and 51.79%). Sheep carcasses had lower (p<0.001) proportion (66.18% vs 71.64%) of muscles and higher (p<0.001) proportion of fat (7.41% vs 3.44%) than goat carcasses. Sheep had proportionally lighter (p<0.001) shoulder (18.89% vs 22.68%) and heavier (p<0.05) proportion of chump (7.916% vs 6.76%) and main rib (8.12% vs 7.07%). Sheep had more (p<0.001) muscles in the leg (28.83% vs 27.08%) and main rib (7.62% vs 6.36%) than goats. Sheep had less (p<0.001) muscles (20.28% vs 23.56%) in shoulder joints when expressed as percentage of total muscle of carcasses. It is concluded that there are differences in sheep and goat both in terms of carcass and joint yields and composition. The present study also implies that there is need to consider setting different meat cuts and prices for these cuts when one takes into account the differences in muscle distribution within joints in sheep and goats
An In Vitro Evaluation of the Capacity of Local Tanzanian Crude Clay and Ash-Based Materials in Binding Aflatoxins in Solution
Aflatoxins in feeds cause great health hazards to animals, and thus eventually to humans as well. The potential of clays from Arusha (AC), Kilimanjaro (KC), the Coast (CC), and Morogoro (MC), as well as volcanic ash (VA) and rice husk ash (RA), were evaluated for their capacity to adsorb aflatoxins B1 (AFB1), B2 (AFB2), G1 (AFG1), and G2 (AFG2) relative to a commercial binder Mycobind® (R) using in vitro technique. On average, CC, VA, KC, MC, AC, RA, and R adsorbed 39.9%, 51.3%, 61.5%, 62.0%, 72.6%, 84.7%, and 98.1% of the total aflatoxins from solution, respectively. The capacity of AC and RA was statistically (p < 0.05) better in binding aflatoxins next to R. The adsorption capacity seemed to follow the trend of the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of these materials. The CEC (meq/100 g) of CC, MC, KC, VA, AC, RA, and R were 7.0, 15.4, 18.8, 25.4, 27.2, 27.2, and 38.9, respectively. On average 96.3%, 42.7%, 80.8%, and 32.1% of AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2 were adsorbed, respectively. The binding capacity of the clays and ashes relative to Mycobind® was about 100% for AC and RA, 50% for KC, MC, and VA, and 33.3% for CC. The AC and RA seem to be promising resources in binding aflatoxins in solution
Value chain of indigenous cattle and beef products in Mwanza region, Tanzania: market access, linkages and opportunities for upgrading
The potentials of the traditional beef cattle sector in Lake Victoria Basin (LVB)
have only been utilized marginally. The sector still suffers from limited access and
linkages to premium markets, lack of entrepreneurial dynamisms by actors, as
well as, use of poor production and processing technologies. This paper applies
the results of participatory market analysis and questionnaire surveys to map the
value chain and assess profitability in each node. The study findings suggest that
the value chain was generally operating inefficiently. Overall, cattle producers
received lower prices and profit margins. Vertical integration of livestock farmers,
beef processors, and traders was limited. The paper recommends tailor made
campaigns and training that will sensitize producers to treat beef cattle keeping as
a business, set aside at least few animals for sale in each year, fatten them using
locally available feeds and produce animals of good quality which will earn them
good money
Rumen liquor from slaughtered cattle as inoculum for feed evaluation
Use of nonlinear mathematical models has been majorly based on in vitro gas production (GP) data generated when substrates are incubated with rumen liquor from fistulated steers. However, existing evidence suggests that rumen liquor from slaughtered cattle of unknown dietary history also generates quantifiable in vitro GP data. Fitting and description of GP data obtained from 4 diets incubated with rumen liquor from slaughtered cattle was evaluated using single-pool exponential model with discrete lag time (EXPL), logistic (LOG), Groot's (GRTS) and Gompertz (GOMP) models. Diets were formulated by varying proportions of Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) hay and a concentrate mixed on dry matter basis to be: 1,000 g/kg Rhodes grass hay (RGH) and 0 of the concentrate (D1), 900 g/kg RGH and 100 g/kg concentrate (D2), 800 g/kg RGH and 200 g/kg concentrate (D3), 700 g/kg RGH and 300 g/kg concentrate (D4). Dietary kinetics for the models were determined by measuring GP at 2, 4, 8, 10, 18, 24, 36, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h. Model comparison was based on derived GP kinetics, graphical analysis of observed versus predicted GP profiles plus residual distribution and goodness-of-fit from analysis of root mean square error (RMSE), adjusted coefficient of determination (Adj-R2) and Akaike's information criterion (AIC). Asymptotic GP, half-life and fractional rate of GP differed (P < 0.001) among the 4 models. The RMSE, Adj-R2 and AIC ranged from 1.555 to 4.429, 0.906 to 0.984 and 2.452 to 15.874, respectively, for all diets compared across the 4 models. Based on the goodness-of-fit statistical criterion, GP profiles of D1 were more appropriately fitted and described by GRTS and GOMP than the EXPL and LOG models. The GRTS model had the lowest AIC value for D2 (2.452). Although GRTS model had the most homogenous residual dispersion for the 4 diets, all the 4 models exhibited a sigmoidal behavior. Therefore, rumen liquor from slaughtered cattle of unknown dietary history can be used to derive nutritionally important feed parameters, but choice of the most appropriate model should be made based on fitting criteria and dietary substrates incubated
Value chain of indigenous cattle and beef products in Mwanza region, Tanzania: market access, linkages and opportunities for upgrading
The potentials of the traditional beef cattle sector in Lake Victoria Basin (LVB)
have only been utilized marginally. The sector still suffers from limited access and
linkages to premium markets, lack of entrepreneurial dynamisms by actors, as
well as, use of poor production and processing technologies. This paper applies
the results of participatory market analysis and questionnaire surveys to map the
value chain and assess profitability in each node. The study findings suggest that
the value chain was generally operating inefficiently. Overall, cattle producers
received lower prices and profit margins. Vertical integration of livestock farmers,
beef processors, and traders was limited. The paper recommends tailor made
campaigns and training that will sensitize producers to treat beef cattle keeping as
a business, set aside at least few animals for sale in each year, fatten them using
locally available feeds and produce animals of good quality which will earn them
good money