Contribution Of Small-Scale Cattle Farming To Household Income: A Case Of Mlali Ward In Kongwa District-Dodoma Tanzania

ABSTRACT

The study focused on the assessment of contribution of cattle faming in the household income specifically in Mlali ward Kongwa district in Dodoma. The study specifically focusing on assessing economic contribution of cattle for farmers in Mlali Ward, to examine the extent to which cattle farming contributes to the household income and well being and to evaluate the challenges and mitigation strategies used by cattle farmers in their farming practices.

A total number of 100 respondents were involved in the study whereby purposive and simple random sampling techniques employed to get this sample. Social survey and personal interview applied as method for data collection whereas questionnaire, interview guide and documentary review used as tools for data collection. Data analyzed in both qualitatively and quantitatively by the using of statistical packages for social science (SPSS Version 20) computer software.

The study results reveal that the major income generating activities performed by the people in the study area include cattle keeping, crop farming, some small scale business and employment which involve some minority group in the ward. The results further shows that cattle farming contribute over 40 percent of the income for the households in which cattle keeping is one among the IGAs done by that family. Besides, the assessment reveals that a number of challenges confronting livestock farmers which include lack of proper skills on the modern livestock farming, climate change, unreliable markets and insufficient support from the government.

Following these challenges, this study has recommended that the government should create awareness about the policy directives to all stakeholders of livestock industry. Also the study recommends that more private investors should be motivated to invest in rural areas by improving and/or construction of livestock production infrastructures for the purpose of promoting livestock productivity for the betterment of the lives of rural people.