THE Livestock and Fisheries ministry intends to develop the empowerment of fishermen by purchasing 450 boats and fishing tools, using funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) extended credit facility (ECF).

Abdallah Ulega, the minister, unveiled this plan when tabling budget estimates of 460.33bn/-. In the National Assembly yesterday, noting that the ministry is to roll off the five-year Tanzania Climate-Smart Dairy Transformation Project (T-CSDTP).

It targets 600,000 people in the dairy value chain, he said, affirming that the major goal of the project is to transform the dairy value chain to improve livelihoods, increase food safety and mitigate the dairy sector’s impact on climate pressures.

The project involves procuring 17,200 modern dairy cattle, building 5,000 improved cattle sheds and rainwater harvesting innovations in 22,400 households, he stated, elaborating that it also involves installing 2,800 biogas plants and set up 950 milk collection centres.

It similarly envisages obtaining 929,000 doses of livestock vaccines and build 140km of all-weather roads in the project areas, he said, hinting at a “livestock guest house” at Mkata Ranch.

A training centre for stakeholders in the value chain on Juncao feeds is lined up, plus developing 20,000 hectares of grazing areas at Msomera ward in Handeni District, Kitwai ward in Simanjiro District and Saunyi ward in Kilindi District.

The Fisheries Education and Training Agency (FETA) and the Livestock Training Agency (LITA) will be supported to implement an education and skills for productive jobs program-for-results (P4R) now in its second phase.

A regulatory body will be set up to supervise the development of fisheries resources and marine products, while the ministry oversees the completion of the modern fishing port at Kilwa Masoko, Lindi Region.

The facility is expected to boost revenues, employment and the blue economy, also supporting 300 women and youth groups in seaweed production, sea cucumber and crabs farming, he stated.

One FETA fishing training vessel is slated for purchasing, seven drones, and 60 buoys to identify fish spawning areas and fix a monitoring device for fishing vessels, he further explained, referring to buying 497 cages and putting up model farms for developing aquatic species in 20 district.

Ministerial efforts during fiscal 2024/2025 will focus on vaccinating all livestock, curbing farmers-herders conflicts, curtailing illegal fishing and boosting the production of animal feeds, he stated, pointing at reform measures including setting up a regulatory agency to supervise the quality of livestock products.

For the livestock and fishing sector to optimally perform, the economy must be inclusive in an environment rid of conflicts between farmers, breeders and other stakeholders in the value chain.

Conflicts between farmers and herders will be tamed by allocating areas for the production of livestock fodder, he said, floating plans for agency collaboration for a general reform plan for the livestock, fishing and agriculture sectors.

This plan also involves reviving investments in deep sea fishing, as this sphere as well as lake fishing will be shifting to modern technologies to control illegal fishing. That is why the government is moving to buy drones, buoys to identify fish spawning areas, and installing a monitoring system for fishing vessels, he further noted.

The ministry will also expand the Building a Better Tomorrow-Youth Initiative for Agribusiness (BBT-YIA) to cover various regions, with eight new centres and beefing up 16 centres already set up in various regions.

The BBT project will be implemented at the Tanzania Livestock Research Institute (TALIRI)-Kongwa, involving commercial livestock keeping and fattening of 120,000 goats and sheep, plus irrigating 2000 hectares and building an animal feeds processing factory, the minister added.