Tanzania Meat Export Surged Significantly in 2023, Livestock Ministry Says

TUESDAY JUNE 25 2024

Cattle keepers entering Rwanda from Tanzania at Rusumo border. PHOTO | FILE | NMG

By XINHUA

Tanzania's meat exports have seen a significant rise, jumping from 1,774.3 tonnes in 2022 to 14,701.2 tonnes in 2023, Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Abdallah Ulega said Monday.

Ulega said the growth in meat exports attributed to the government's efforts to revitalise the livestock sector, including a substantial increase in budget allocation for the sector, rising from Tsh32.1 billion (about $12.2 million) in the 2021/2022 fiscal year to Tsh112 billion shillings (about $42.6 million) in the 2023/2024 fiscal year.

Speaking at the launch of the World Bank's The 21st Tanzania Economic Update Report in Dar es Salaam, which focuses on the livestock sector, Ulega said Tanzania's development of critical infrastructures is important for enhancing the transportation of livestock and related products to both domestic and international markets.

Furthermore, Ulega said Tanzania has undertaken major legal and regulatory reforms aimed at creating a conducive business environment, facilitating the trade of livestock and livestock products while ensuring that the private sector operates in a favorable and predictable business climate.

According to the World Bank, Tanzania currently boasts a cattle population of 36.6 million, making it the second-largest cattle population in Africa after Ethiopia.