Understanding Smallholder Dairy Farming in Tanzania: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Farmer Demographics and Management Constraints

There has been a significant shift in the population of smallholder dairy cattle farmers in Tanzania, yet we lack current demographic data and information on key productivity constraints. This cross-sectional survey of 301 smallholder dairy cattle farmers across six regions aimed to gather demographic data and identify key farming constraints. Of the 301 households surveyed, 74% were headed by men, but in Njombe there was an equal number of women and men. Most respondents had primary education but had gone no further (55%); however, in Morogoro, 68% of farmers had been in secondary/university education. Across four regions (Njombe, Mbeya, Kilimanjaro and Arusha), herd size of 3–4 animals was most common (32–50%); however, in Morogoro and Tanga most herds had ˃4 animals (66% and 78%, respectively). Zero-grazing was the most common grazing system (75%), but tethering was predominant (68%) in Mbeya. Cash purchase was the most common means of obtaining the first cattle beast (66%), although a gift from a relative/friend (49%) was the most common source in Mbeya. High input costs (93%), unavailability of feed (71%), lack of land (68%) and diseases (62%) were the key identified constraints, while high breeding costs (96%), poor oestrus detection (89%), cows not displaying oestrus (79%) and lack of AI services (51%) were the key constraints to successful breeding. Despite the shared commonalities, demographic differences among regions call for fitting development strategies that address the specific needs of farmers in each region, rather than applying uniform solutions across Tanzania.