Dodoma city was selected by chance among the cities in Tanzania.
In view of this, more studies need to be carried out in Dodoma to determine various potentials of chicken industry growth and contribution in terms of socio-economic gains to the local communities. Being official, operating as the capital city, the population is expected to rise and so the needs for animal products such as chicken meat.
However, the understanding of how the chicken contributes to socioeconomic benefits and income generated from chicken production at household level is not well documented in the semi-arid region Dodoma.ĭodoma region ethnicities are Gogo who literally engage in agriculture and livestock farming, production of chickens being one among them.
Furthermore, most of the studies on the socioeconomic impacts of chicken production have not been focused on semi-arid regions like Dodoma. Studies on socioeconomic activities in relation to chicken production have been carried out mostly in rural areas where local chickens are the only breed kept. In addition, Chuma (2019) reported parasite infestations and diseases such as Newcastle disease, Infectious bursa disease, and Coccidiosis as stump-blocks to the growth of the chicken industry in Tanzania. (2019) reported predation from wildlife, diseases, and markets are among the few challenges in chicken production. Other studies elsewhere have shown various challenges including markets, diseases, and predation that can affect productivity of chicken. Chicken domestication, including the introduction of new strains, has been observed in rural and urban areas in many regions in Tanzania, including Dodoma ( Andrew et al., 2019). (2010), described how chicken production contributed significantly to food security and positioning women as contributors to the family's social-economic strengths. However, the productivity is not encouraging, so more education and support on chicken keeping is essential to enhance a positive economic impact on the local communities.Ĭhicken production in many parts of rural and urban areas in African countries has contributed significantly as sources of protein, food security, employment, and income in resource-constrained communities ( Kabir et al., 2015 Ngongolo et al., 2019). Chicken keeping is a very important sector in resource-constrained families as it provides for family proteins and income which support family health care, education, and other social needs. The average selling price for the chicken was 12,500 Tanzanian Shilling ( Tsh), whereas, for cocks, it was 13000 Tsh, and hens were sold at 10,000 Tsh. The potential customers for the chicken and their products were nearby shops (60.71%), individuals (retails) (85.71%), animal market place (Mnadani) (62.5%), travelers (55.35%), and restaurants (61.71%). The contribution of chicken production socially and economically among these categories varied significantly (Kruskal-Wallis statistical test = 33.36, P < 0.001). Chicken production contributed socially and economically through meat, manure, offerings, source of income, aesthetic value (beauty), provision of school fees, and source of employment. The entire family was responsible for chicken management in 66.07% of the households, whereby, in 25% of the households, only women were involved, and in 7.01% of the households, only men were involved in rearing chickens.
A total of 200 were interviewed, and of these, 33.93% were male and 66.07% were female. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey (with Likert scaling) was conducted, and in-depth interviews were used to gather information from the local livestock keepers. This study examined the potential of chickens' production in Kongwa district and Dodoma municipality in Tanzania. However, little information on the social-economic contribution of chickens' production in Dodoma is available. Chickens, in many households, are kept by women and the youths, providing employment and means of increasing family economic gains.