UKWEGA VILLAGERS REAP THE FRUITS OF RAISING GOATS

Villagers of Ukwega, a hilly area in Kilolo District, Iringa Region are now reaping the fruits of dairy goat project.

The project is being supported by the Eastern African Mountains Arc Endowment Fund (EAMCEF) in an effort to boost villagers’ income, nutrition as well as conserving forests. The village is    located 85kms from Iringa municipality.

Amani Kisomo is one of the beneficiaries of the project who said dairy goat rearing was profitable, simple and easier to undertake than to cultivate maize and beans. 

For a long time, Kisomo and other villagers used to grow maize and other cereals but his life did not change, until when he took up the goat rearing project.  

“I had cultivated maize and beans for a long time. However, last year I was given one dairy goat by EAMCEF and I am doing well with this project,” he said. 

Kisomo is among the villagers who had benefited from the dairy goat project in the good terrains of Udzungwa Mountains. 

“It was very hard to go into this new goat rearing venture. However, I have started reaping the fruits of the project,”   with a smile in his face, he said.

Smallholder farmers in the area have been trying their hands on dairy goat farming, which they say is much more profitable than to cultivate maize and beans.

The goats are easier to feed.

“The wastes are good manure in the farms and this is set to increase maize production per acreage,” he noted.

EAMCEF provided the 16-people group with five dairy goats and one male, whereby five people were given the herds of dairy goat, for the promise of giving calves to other members who were not given in the first batch of the project.

“We were given five dairy goats and one male goat and we’re 16 members in the group. Only five were given dairy goat in the first phase,” he said.

Kisomo who is a chairman of the group said the challenge facing them was lack of plunge dips to control ticks, flies, mites, lice, blowfly strike and other parasites on goat and other domestic animals . 

Project Coordinator, Aristide Nsiima said the idea of the project is to improve nutrition amongst communities living closer to Kilombero Nature Reserve as well as boosting family income.

He said: “despite the fact that we’re just starting, there is a glimmer of hope and the project is going to be sustainable as more people are joining the project”.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN