When you hear Tanzania government leaders, one being H. E, the president of the United Republic of Tanzania Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, speaking on and about pastoralism, the following questions might readily come to your mind; is pastoralism a primitive mode of livelihood? Is pastoralism the main culprit of environmental degradation?
The usual song by the big potatoes is pastoralists have to be encouraged to down stock and discouraged to sustain nomadic animal rearing, ironically christened ‘kuchunga’, and force or lead them to adopt the highly praised and commended zero grazing ‘kufuga’.
More questions come to mind;
-Why is pastoralism not credited and praised for all the benefits it has had to the nation, in the first place? (nani anakula nyama toka kwenye ranchi hapa Tanzania, kwa mfano?)
-Pastoralism has suffocated any other system of animal husbandry over time in Tanzania, why has it to be condemned for its success?
-Even more importantly, how easy is the ZERO GRAZING? (Tazama picha) How prepared is the government to support these animal keepers?
Ah! Lots of questions. PLEASE ADD YOURS – you may even wish to provide answers to some of these questions – karibu.