Using molasses concentrates to promote indigenous sheep fattening in Tanzania
Name of sustainable practice or practices Using molasses concentrates to promote indigenous sheep fattening in Tanzania
Name of main actor Department of Research, Training and Extension, Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development
Type of actors involved Indigenous communities (including community farming), Smallholder livestock keepers, Family farmers, Commercial farmers, Research institutions
Livestock Species Sheep
Livestock breed Long fat-tailed (Gogo), Tanzania Black Head and Red Maasai sheep breeds
Country Tanzania
Agro-ecological region Arid/semi-arid
Main feature of best practice Furthering grain-free strategies in animal feed
Key features of livestock farming system Smallholder/community landless livestock keeping, Commercial landless livestock keeping, Pastoral livestock keeping
Year practice/management strategies started to be implemented 2008
Key practices implemented to improve sustainability of livestock management There is an emerging competition of using grains for human and animal foods as well as excessive use of bran in local brew production in Tanzania. Looking for alternative energy sources for animal feed that do not compete with human food and at the same time can add value to current meat production several best practices were identified.
Using molasses concentrates added to feed for Long fat-tailed (Gogo), Tanzania Black Head and Red Maasai sheep breeds was identified as a way of faster fattening and less grains required.
The Gogo sheep breed type are characterized by slow growth rate of less than 21g/day far less than the average of 42 – 100g/day observed in other African sheep breeds. So far performance of extensive sheep production in semi-arid regions of Tanzania was neither very sustainable, nor profitable.
Introducing the new practices, however, it is possible to reduce inputs in the system, achieve better fattening of sheep and add value to the end product. A molasses-based concentrate containing the following proportions can be mixed: molasses (66.3%), maize bran (15.5%), cotton seed cake (11.5%), rice polishing (4.6%), urea (1.6%), minerals (0.4%) and lime (0.1%),while Cenchrus ciliaris hay is used as roughage. Both concentrate and hay are fed on ad libitum basis to provide 11.0 MJ metabolizable energy (ME/kg DM) and 160 protein (g CP/kg DM), with provision of ad libitum clean water.
A period of 42 to 50 days is therefore enough to feedlot one year old castrated Gogo sheep breed type and this could be the best management practice if the animals are confined under feedlot conditions, receive health care (dewormed), are provided with ad libitum water, molasses based concentrate and hay.
Key impacts of the best practices on sustainability of farming system Utilizing available feed sources, such as grasses and molasses, is a way of improving sustainability of sheep production. The feedlot is sustainable because the country has more than five sugar cane industries producing plenty and cheap molasses (less than USD 50/tonne), 7.0 million indigenous sheep (60% Gogo type owned by 10% of the households), maize bran and rice polishing from staple maize and paddy (covered >75% of cropping land). These actions also were in line with the National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty.
The overall impact was seen on the net benefit of feedlot (16 USD/head) versus those slaughtered directly from the pasture (11USD/head), utilization of molasses, high profit, safeguard the animal health and welfare. Yield of sold meat increased from 8 to 12 kg (4 kg extra meat equivalent to USD 20), net profit per head from USD 11 to USD 16 and reduction the cost of gain from 0.64 to 0.26 (USD/kg) and ultimately break-even cost of gain from 9.51 to 5.31 (USD) (Shirima et al. 2012).
Negative impacts on sensitive semi-arid ecosystem and vegetation were minimised in this system.
Constraints and opportunities observed during implementation of described practices Before, feedlot has never been practiced in feeding indigenous sheep under on-farm conditions in Tanzania.
Sheep managed in extensive systems depend solely on dry and fibrous grasses, crop residues or home leftovers led to poor growth and meat production. Furthermore, this kind of management system caused a lot of havoc, including social conflicts and environmental degradation.
Introducing molasses-based diets could be a way of improving the holistic management of livestock farming in dry regions of Tanzania.
Selection of appropriate age for feedlot sheep would be the most important consideration and the next step is to operate feedlot to other ruminant livestock like cattle and goats which are also being bred by smallholder livestock keepers in Tanzania.
Contacts
Dr. Eligy J. Mussa Shirima (shirimamussa(at)yahoo.co.uk) and Mr. Valentino C. Urassa (valentinine(at)yahoo.com)
