This 3:47-minute film tells the story of Sheha Saidi, a dairy farmer from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, who compares her experiences of keeping dairy cattle in Tanzania’s largest city with the experiences of her sister who lives and keeps dairy cows in Pongwe, Tanga.

‘Keeping livestock is very beneficial,’ says Saidi. ‘Nearly everything that comes from livestock is useful, including milk, meat and hides,’ she adds, ‘and livestock also produce calves, which means a farmer gets a good return on what they invest.’

According to Saidi, compared to rural farmers, livestock farmers in urban centres like Dar es Salaam have better access to veterinary services for their animals and can produce more milk from fewer animals through zero-grazing.

‘However,’ Saidi says, ‘in Tanga livestock keepers have a ready and reliable market for their milk through the Tanga Fresh Dairy.’

In Tanzania, researchers from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) are working with their Tanzanian counterparts, farmers and other dairy sector stakeholders to help small-scale dairy farmers produce and sell more milk to meet increasing national demand for dairy products.

Read about ILRI in Tanzania.