Tanzania's government has directed the Tanzania Livestock Research Institute (TALIRI) to step up research into animal health, pasture development and livestock breeds as part of efforts to improve productivity and strengthen the sector's role in the national economy. The Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Ambassador Dr Bashiru Ally, issued the directive on Tuesday during a visit to TALIRI's Central Zone Centre in Mpwapwa District, where he reviewed the institution's operations and assessed its challenges.
Dr Ally instructed TALIRI to become a hub for artificial insemination and embryo transfer technologies, saying these advances will help translate research findings into practical improvements in livestock breeding and production. The minister also told the centre to prepare budget estimates for a modern laboratory to support the two technologies. TALIRI researcher Dr Kabuni Kabuni had told the minister that the institute needed such a facility in collaboration with the National Artificial Insemination Centre to strengthen artificial insemination and embryo transfer services.
In a separate move, the minister banned the commercial sale of pasture seeds that have been subsidised by the government, insisting the subsidy must directly benefit livestock keepers. He instructed the ministry's Permanent Secretary to issue new guidelines for the sale and distribution of the seeds to ensure the intended beneficiaries receive support. Mpwapwa District Commissioner Dr Sophia Mfaume Kizigo called for grassroots awareness campaigns to encourage livestock keepers to adopt pasture farming, saying the practice can improve animal feed availability and reduce land-use conflicts between farmers and pastoralists.
Dr Kizigo noted that wider adoption of pasture farming will improve feed availability for livestock while reducing competition for land between the two groups. The Deputy Permanent Secretary responsible for the livestock sector, Dr Fabian Madele, pledged that the ministry will work with experts to implement the minister's directives and advance reforms in line with Tanzania's Development Vision 2050. He emphasised that collaboration between the ministry and technical experts will be crucial in translating the proposed measures into practical improvements in the livestock sector.
For livestock keepers and agricultural businesses, the directives mean improved access to subsidised pasture seeds and potentially more productive livestock through better breeding technologies, though implementation will depend on the new guidelines and laboratory development.