Bukoba — AT least 171,767 cattle in Kagera Region have been branded in a bid to make it easier for identification of livestock and for biosecurity control purposes.

Kagera Regional Livestock Development Officer, Colman John explained that, the Livestock Identification, Registration and Traceability Regulation, 2011, requires all domestic animals to be branded.

"The national livestock identification technologies in cattle, sheep and goats shall be the approved visual ear tag and rumen bolus or electronic ear tag. Visual and electronic capability may be used in combination on the same animal for traceability and farm management purposes," he said.

He explained that visual and electronic capability may be on the same identification device-combo ear tags and or in two separate devices as double ear tags-one visual and the other electronic or a visual management.

Electronic rumen bolus specifications shall be as recommended in the International Standards Organisation 11784 and 11785 and may be used in the national germ plasm breeding schemes of cattle, water buffalo, sheep and goat and in specified area, he said.

The estimated number of livestock in Kagera Region during 2020 was 750,000 cattle including 541,156 goats, 56,575 sheep, 108 donkeys and 61,257 pigs.

Tanzania accounts for about 1.4 per cent of the global cattle population and 11 per cent of African cattle population (FAO 2014).

Tanzania has about 30.5 million cattle, 18.8 million goats and 5.3 million sheep. Other livestock include 1.9 million pigs, 38.2 million local chicken and 36.6 million improved chicken.

The livestock sector plays an important role in building a strong national economy by increasing household food security, incomes, animal draught power, manure, foreign exchange and employment opportunities while nurturing the livestock resources.

Despite the potential of livestock resources available in the country, the sector contributed only 6.9 per cent, which is very little to economic growth.