Abstract
This paper provides a detailed summary of one effort to develop a new breed of cattle from a composite in eastern Africa. In the late 1950s the Tanzania Ministry of Agriculture, after years of marginal results with straight exotic and indigenous cattle improvement, started a program to develop a dual-purpose zebu-type animal for the peasant cattle owner, from a foundation including the Tanzania Shorthorned Zebu, Boran, Ankole, Red Sindhi, Sahiwal, and mixed European breeding, in varying levels. Historic and contemporary information is presented on breed development strategies; growth, reproduction, lactation, and carcass performance; and breeding stock distribution. Regularly monitored records indicate that in general the Mpwapwa, as the composite was named, increased weight by 25% to 30%, and milk yield by 250% to 350% as compared to indigenous stock under similar management. The paper discusses the more important non-biological factors which influenced genetic progress, field testing, and breed acceptance.
Proceedings of the World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, Volume XI. Genetics of reproduction, lactation, growth, adaptation, disease, and parasite resistance., , 493–498, 1986
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