Cattle dung production, management and utilization practices in the smallholding dairy farming systems of East Africa: a situational analysis in Lushoto District, Tanzania

This focus review aims to update the dung and manure production, management and utilization in the East African countries and its associated challenges particularly in the case of Lushoto district, in northern Tanzania. Attention and efforts are continuously being made to promote the use of cattle dung though the challenges still exist. Majority of smallholder farmers in the East Africa poorly manage cattle dung such that its quality is impaired. Such practices include exposing the dung uncovered in a heap and applying directly to the crops. A survey conducted at Lushoto district in the smallholder dairy farmers observed poor management from collection of dung, processing or storage to utilization causing losses of potential nutrients when it’s used as manure. Additionally, the knowledge on other uses of cow dung such as for biogas production is not adequately known. This review, therefore, revealed the need for training farmers on issues related to dung management and utilization such as the nutrient recycling at the farm scale. Cattle dung has been for a long time used as manure in agricultural production and recommendations especially on the applications and users have been generalized to a wide range of areas. There is a need to establish area specific recommendation on dung management from production to the final use. For sustainability of the knowledge, readable materials, an appropriate intervention of biogas plant, manure storage (shade structure) and decomposition process that will create awareness from production to farm application are required.