NARCO is focusing to increase hay bale production from 65,000 to 280,000 within the next six months.
DODOMA. THE National Ranching Company (NARCO) has launched a strategic initiative to improve grazing land and expand animal feeds production at its ranches across the country.
The ongoing project aims to increase pasture production from 650 acres to 2,800 acres by June 2026.
Briefing the publication about the ambitious project, NARCO’s Director of Production Infrastructure Development and Operations, Mr. Bwire Mwijarubi, said the company owns a total of 521,667 hectares across its 15 farms located in nine regions of mainland Tanzania.
He noted that approximately 250,000 percentage of the grazing land is currently covered with thick bushes and tree stumps, limiting effective grazing and reduce overall production.
To address this, the company is considering to purchase an ultra-modern bulldozer to clear bushes and stumps and create suitable for pasture development.
As part of the preliminary phase of the project, NARCO is currently hiring bulldozers to remove unwanted bushes and stumps at the Kongwa and Ruvu ranches, with work progressing satisfactorily and on schedule.
Additionally, Mr. Mwijarubi said the company plans to scale up the production of a legume-grass mixture at its two ranches—Kongwa in Dodoma and Ruvu in the coastal region.
“Currently, 550 acres at Kongwa ranch are used to produce the legume-grass mixture, while at Ruvu ranch production covers 100 acres,” he explained.
Furthermore, the company intends to expand the production of these essential grasses at other ranches, including West Kilimanjaro, where production will cover 400 acres; Mzeri ranch (Tanga), 400 acres; and the Missenyi and Kikulula ranches in Kagera, each covering 400 acres.
“The focus is also to increase hay bale production from 65,000 to 280,000 within the next six months,” he added.
Regarding other plans, Mwijarubi stated that production of juncao grass will be expanded at both Kongwa and Ruvu ranches.
“Currently, 100 acres at Kongwa ranch are under Juncao cultivation, while at Ruvu ranch 40 acres are under production,” he said, adding that an additional 100 acres will be planted at Kongwa ranch, bringing the total to 200 acres.
At Ruvu ranch, production will be increased to at least 140 acres from the current 40 acres.
He explained that Juncao is a hybrid grass with a high protein content, ranging between 12 and 18 percent, and it takes only three months to reach harvest.
According to Mr. Mwijarubi, one acre of this hybrid grass can feed 40 cattle annually.
“This grass, also known as ‘Magic Grass,’ is useful in silage production, which will significantly enable us to store feed for use during drought seasons,” he added.
He noted that Juncao grass was introduced in Tanzania in 2016, with its official introduction occurring in 2021.
Juncao is a multifunctional agricultural resource; its leaves, stems, and roots can be used for various ecological purposes, such as controlling soil erosion and preventing desertification.
It can also be used in mushroom cultivation, as animal and poultry feed, fertilizer production, biomass energy, and more.
NARCO’s CEO, Mr. Mr. Mohamed Zuberi Mbwana.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NARCO, Mr. Mohamed Zuberi Mbwana, stated that the company aims to support government efforts to increase Tanzania’s meat exports to at least 50,000 tons annually by 2030.
To achieve this, several initiatives are underway, including expanding investments in cattle fattening programs and improving the use of artificial insemination (AI).
This year, insemination efforts will focus primarily on Brahman and Boran breeds.
Currently, Tanzania exports about 14,000 tons of meat annually, so the livestock ministry faces the significant task of increasing exports by at least 36,000 tons to meet the target.
About The Author
