The Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Ambassador Dr Ally Bashiru Kakurwa, has commended the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB) for implementing the Tanzania Inclusive Producer-Producer Partnership (TI3P) project, a USD 7 million agricultural iniative aimed at transforming the diary sector.
He described the project as the major catalyst for transforming Tanzania’s dairy subsector through improved productivity, strengthened value chains and enhanced farmer livelihoods.
Dr Bashiru made the remarks during a visit to the TADB exhibition booth at the 29th National World Milk Week celebrations held at Mwembetogwa grounds in Iringa Region, where he received a briefing on the project’s progress from TI3P Coordinator Joseph Mabula.
He said the results achieved under the project highlight the importance of sustained investment in the livestock sector, particularly dairy farming, which plays a central role in food security, nutrition, employment creation and rural economic development.
“The time has come for more financial institutions to recognise the opportunities within the livestock sector and expand their support to farmers, just as they have done in other productive sectors of the economy,” Dr Kakurwa said.
He called on development partners, financial institutions, dairy processors and cooperative societies to deepen collaboration in order to improve milk production, collection, processing and marketing systems across the country.
Dr Bashiru further emphasised the critical role of cooperatives in linking smallholder farmers to essential services, including quality inputs, extension services, credit facilities and reliable markets, noting that such linkages are key to building a competitive dairy industry.
Early results from the TI3P project show notable impact at grassroots level.
The Chairperson of IDCOS LTD Dairy Cooperative in Iringa, Alex Nyalusi, said the cooperative has recorded significant progress after benefiting from TADB financing under the project, which enabled the acquisition of 25 dairy cattle.
He said the intervention has increased milk production from an average of 700 litres to 1,000 litres per day, significantly boosting income and productivity for the cooperative’s 84 members.
“Before this support, most farmers were facing low production and unstable incomes. Today, we are seeing clear improvement in both productivity and livestock quality,” Nyalusi said.
He added that members are now directly benefiting from increased earnings and are increasingly adopting modern dairy farming practices.
“Our members are seeing real results. Incomes have improved, household welfare has strengthened, and there is growing confidence in investing in modern dairy farming,” he said.
Looking ahead, Nyalusi said the cooperative plans to move into value addition by processing milk into higher-value products such as yoghurt and fermented milk.
“We intend to approach TADB for further support to acquire milk processing equipment. This will enable us to add value, expand our market reach and increase returns for our members,” he said.
Despite these gains, he noted that the dairy subsector continues to face challenges, including a shortage of artificial insemination experts, limited extension services, inadequate access to quality animal feed, livestock diseases and infrastructure gaps in some production areas.
Stakeholders in the dairy industry say that sustained investment in production, collection, storage and processing will be critical in positioning the subsector as one of the key pillars of Tanzania’s livestock economy.
The TI3P project, implemented by TADB, continues to be recognised by stakeholders as a successful model of targeted agricultural financing, particularly for its role in linking producers with processors, improving productivity and enhancing the welfare of smallholder dairy farmers.
