Livestock Marketing and Information Development, The United Republic of Tanzania. Terminal statement

This project responds to the Government's request for technical assistance to develop strategies for expanding and improving livestock marketing operations in various regions where deficiencies in facilities hinder the functioning of potentially orderly and growing markets. The Government has recognized that, if accurate data were available concerning the various methods of livestock movement in use, particularly on long trek routes, improvements could be applied to make marketing more efficient and profitable to cattle owners, shippers, and retail operatorsFollowing the proposal for development of new information facilities and sources of data, FAO designated a livestock marketing specialist to work for one full year (1990-1991) within the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Development and Cooperatives, collaborating with a government livestock marketing economist and various members of the Ministry field staffWhile the project started with a carefully worked out plan for gathering and analysing data, difficulties were encountered almost at once because of poor communications between remote data collection points and the headquarters office, together with such other problems as supervision and coordination, and local transport. These restraints were alleviated as the project progressed, by such measures as training of counterpart staff in sampling procedures, provision of motorcycles for rapid personnel transport between various rural points in order to oversee data collection, carry results to locations from which they could be relayed to headquarters, and generally to stay in close contact with various field personnel involved in data gathering and reportingUnfortunately, the information available concerning cattle weight loss during movement to markets was very incomplete because the weighbridges furnished were not set up in many locations. Despite these problems, the project made substantial progress in establishing a basis on which could be constructed a comprehensive livestock market information system covering the central western and northern regions of the country. However, in the next phase all preparations should be complete at the beginning, covering such matters as weighbridge installation and repair, and further training in data collection and recording for recent recruits working under the livestock marketing officersIt was recommended that the Government continue and extend activities pertaining to trek routes, both to assess the effects on cattle and to improve conditions wherever possible. Trader surveys should be organized to determine the scope for private management and infrastructure improvements. Also, producer surveys should be organized in order to learn more about critical decisions made at the source of cattle raising and shipping to marketFinally, communications linkages must be improved between the main offices and the field if efficient and current market information were to be made available for analysis and administrative decisions affecting the handling of livestock at all stages, including border market stations not currently submitting weekly market dat