The Kagera Livestock Development Programme supports smallholder dairy farming in Kagera region, Tanzania. Dairy farming is a financially rewarding activity. Well over 2,000 dairy farmers receive management support via training and extension. The extension service has a detailed monitoring system, covering technical and economic aspects. The system is based on paper reports and one Personal Computer with tailor-made software. The information supports management at farm level, where high calf mortality and long calving intervals are the main problems. It also supports extension staff, their direct supervisors and the project management. KAUDEP has put much effort to develop the system, to make it work and provide feedback to all levels. Internally the system works fairly well. The main constraint lies in the contact between extension staff and the farmers. KAUDEP is therefore concentrating more on training the extension staff, including gender sensitization, as well as improving farmers training.
