Ngorongoro conservation and development project March 1988: Technical Report No 1

Despite social and economic change, livestock continues to play a central role in the livelihood of the Ngorongoro Maasai. The performance of the livestock population, however, has been poor: milk yields are generally low, calving intervals are long, and animals are slow to reach marketable age. Diseases, particularly tick-borne diseases, are a major constraint, contributing both to high levels of mortality and reductions in productivity. As a result of these conditions, cattle numbers have failed to keep pace with the growth in the human population; this has led to serious declines in the amount of milk available per capita, and to increasing nutritional dependency on grain. There is, however, considerable scope for improving the livestock economy of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, without adverse effects on conservation and wildlife values. A multi-pronged livestock development programme is recommended, incorporating the following elements: — land-use zoning of the Conservation Area. This would enable different areas to be managed according to different objectives, thereby clarifying management goals, increasing efficiency and reducing land-use conflicts; — creation of a Livestock Development Extension Team, comprised of Conservation Authority personnel and resident pastoralists. This Team would be responsible for providing short training courses in all aspects of livestock husbandry, initiating small-scale community development projects, and exploring the possibilities for the introduction of appropriate technologies (e.g., simple methods for preparing condensed milk, milk separators for ghee production, etc.); — improvement of disease control and prevention. This would involve the provision of veterinary drugs, the encouragement of, hand sprays, and the construction of additional crushes. Further investment in dips at this point in time should be limited to the repair of a few, carefully selected dips in areas where supplies of acaracide and water can be guaranteed. Tick control policy should be to aim for a reduction in numbers, rather than eradication; — initiation of an epidemiological study of livestock diseases and their impact on productivity. This should be coupled with basic support and improvements to existing livestock health service facilities. Field trials to assess the potential for introducing exotic breeds of cattle should also be initiated as an integral component of the disease study. Despite the gains which stand to be achieved through the programme outlined above, it is evident that increases in productivity and improvements in the disease situation will proceed slowly, and that there will be no dramatic shifts in the contribution of livestock products to human nutrition. Grain will, therefore, continue to play a vital role in the pastoral diet for the forseeable future.