At least 200 youth are set to benefit from opportunities in goat and sheep fattening under the government’s Building a Better Tomorrow (BBT) programme being implemented by the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries at the Tanzania Livestock Research Institute (TALIRI) centre in Kongwa District, Dodoma Region.
The five-year project, valued at about Sh81 billion, seeks to increase youth and women participation in livestock entrepreneurship while strengthening commercial livestock production and the wider value chain.
Speaking during a project introduction workshop in Kongwa yesterday on behalf of the Permanent Secretary for Livestock and Fisheries, the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Livestock), Dr Fabian Madele, said the programme will equip young people with practical skills in commercial goat and sheep fattening.
He said the project will also cover fodder production, fodder seed multiplication, animal feed processing and the application of modern livestock production technologies.
Dr Madele noted that youth are the main beneficiaries of the initiative and will gain hands-on experience across the entire livestock value chain, particularly in goat production.
Through the training, he explained, young people will acquire the skills needed to venture into modern livestock businesses, improve their incomes and contribute to national economic growth.
He added that the government expects the trained youth to start their own businesses and become part of the solution to the country’s unemployment challenge.
Beneficiaries will also have access to collateral-free loans after completing the training to enable them to expand their livestock enterprises.
Dr Madele said the project is part of broader government efforts under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration to address youth unemployment by creating productive economic opportunities.
“The government has deliberately mobilised resources to support initiatives such as the BBT programme in order to empower young people and improve their livelihoods,” he said.
The Ministry’s Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr Daudi Mayeji, said the programme will involve youth from different parts of the country and not only those from Dodoma Region.
He noted that under the programme each youth participant will be able to manage up to 100 goats as part of the commercial fattening project.
According to him, the government expects to train about 1,750 youth within five years through the initiative.
To support the programme, the government has already allocated 2,000 hectares of land for the cultivation of livestock fodder to ensure reliable feed supply.
Kongwa Division Officer Mr Jeremiah Kabebwa, who represented the District Commissioner, commended the ministry for bringing the project to the district, saying it will create economic opportunities for young people.
He assured the ministry that local authorities will mobilise youth to take advantage of the programme so that they can improve their livelihoods through livestock entrepreneurship.
