The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Costantine Sebastian
5 November 2008
Between 20 and 40 per cent of milk produced in Tanzania is wasted due to spoilage.
"Most of the locally produced milk which reaches the market is unprocessed.
Less than two per cent of marketed milk in the country is processed by the formal sector," the chairman of the Tanzania Milk Processors Association, Mr Devangwa Mmari, told The Citizen.
He said inadequate raw milk deliveries to factories and poor power supplies were constraining processors. The promotion and development of the milk industry are stymied by financial woes.
"We have been performing poorly in the market against imports because of those problems. The situation has forced processors like Azania of Dar es Salaam to close shop.
Another one in Tanga also folded recently," he bemoaned. "We are also unable to expand our investments and venture into new production lines." The industry's growth is vital to increase farmers' incomes and alleviate poverty.
He said despite increased milk consumption following promotional campaigns, processing has decreased. It is estimated that every Tanzanian drinks between 30 and 40 litres annually compared with 24 litres in 1997.
Dar es Salaam is a potential market of one million litres of milk a day. But local processors are yet to exploit the market where less than 60,000 litres are supplied daily.
He said 70 per cent of the milk and other dairy products consumed in the city were imported.
According to him, the Dar es Salaam scenario reflects the national consumption picture whereby locals are grossly disadvantaged and little milk is consumed.
According to him, Dar es Salaam mainly gets milk from Coast, Morogoro and Tanga regions. He said with good infrastructure and support to dairy farmers, milk for the city would come from as far as Dodoma and Singida.
Tan Dairies Limited is exploring sources of milk supplies in Mpwapwa and Kongwa ranches and it will go to Singida.
Of the 18 million cattle population in Tanzania, only 500,000 are dairy cows. Mr Mmari disputes the dairy figure, saying it had been static for many years and did not present the actual situation.
"The number of dairy cows is much smaller,"he said.
Mr Mmari, who is also the managing director of Tan Dairies Ltd, said opportunities such as having more incomes, creating jobs and increasing the Government revenues were missed.
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