Division of Research and Development

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FOOD

TANZANIA

Central Zone


Research Institutes/Centres
Mpwapwa, Kongwa, Makutupora, Hombolo

Mpwapwa Livestock Production Research Institute

Zonal Headquarters
The livestock Research centre was founded by the Germans at the beginning of the 20th century around 1905, and was used as a veterinary Research centre up to the World War I. After the war, not much was left except the cattle dip built in 1907. The dip is still in use and is reckoned to be the oldest in East Africa.

In 1922, the British took over the station and set up a veterinary pathology laboratory. From 1924 to 1929 the main activities of the station included research in rinderpest and trypanosomiasis, the earlier for which over 50,000 anti-rinderpest serum doses were produced annually. The Headquarters of the Department of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry moved from Dar es Salaam to Mpwapwa 1n 1929. It is indicated that improvement of the indigenous cattle which originated from Iringa, Rungwe, Singida and Masailand through crossbreeding started there in 1923.

Animal husbandry research gained high status between 1930 and 1938. A number of experiments in animal nutrition and pasture management at the station, and demonstration farms are documented in Annual reports and in the East African Journal of Agriculture. Animal breeding expanded with the appointment of a geneticist in 1944. The station then took more interest in the overall development of the livestock sector and established a veterinary and animal husbandry training center.

The Headquarters of the veterinary science and Animal Husbandry Division returned to Dar es Salaam in 1954. In the early years of the 20th century the station built up an international reputation for research work into animal breeding, nutrition, pasture management and utilization.

In 1962 there was a ministerial re-organisation which grouped all experimental and research stations covering agronomy, animal husbandry and fisheries under the research division. This station was re-designated under the livestock development policy that emphasized introduction on up-graded cattle into villages and with that, the station concentrated on cattle breeding. In the late 1960's the station was renamed a research and training institute with a bias towards Livestock development. From 1977 research and training were administered as separate institutes under a Director and Principal respectively.

The Research institute was designated Livestock Production Research Institute and this name was adopted by the Tanzania Livestock Research Organization (TALIRO) formed in July 1981. When TALIRO was dissolved in June 1989 the name was retained under the Department for Research and Training in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (KILIMO).

Location
Region: Dodoma
District: Mpwapwa
Latitude: 06º20'S
Longitude: 36º30'E
Seaport: Dar es Salaam (430 km)
Railway Station: Gulwe (17 km)
Bus Station: Mpwapwa (2 km)
Airport: Dodoma (112 km)
Airstrip: Ilolo (5 km)

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Kongwa Pasture Research Centre

The centre is an ideal place for pastures and forages research for the semi-arid areas of Tanzania. It was first established as a pasture research station in the early 1950s following the failure of the once famous groundnut scheme. Over the years, the centre has been carrying out research on pastures and forages introductions and evaluation, production and utilization, and Range management. Currently, the centre is also involved in the breeding research particularly in improvement of local cattle - Tanzania Shorthorn Zebu (TSZ) and goats.

Location
Region: Dodoma
District: Mpwapwa
Postal Address: P.O. Box 5, Kongwa
Latitude: 6oº - 6º6'S
Longitude: 26º22' - 36º30'E
Altitude: 1067m
Nearest Railway Station: Gulwe
Nearest Airport:Dodoma

Being situated in the semi-arid area of central Tanzania, the PRC is accessible through a sand/gravel secondary road in the north of the Dodoma - Morogoro highway.

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Makutupora Viticulture Research and Training Centre (VRTC)

The Makutupora Viticultural Research and Training Centre (VRTC) was established in 1978 under the Dodoma Rural Development Project (DODEP) and supported by the Dodoma Regional Development Administration, the Community Development Trust Fund of Tanzania and Kuebel Stiftung of West Germany. The VRTC was managed by Kuebel Stifting until 1986 when it was handed over to the Regional Authorities and then in 1987 to MoA. It is now under the DRD of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). It has the mandate to undertake vine research for the benefit of farmers; develop improved planting material and to conduct training in viticulture for farmers and extension staff.

Location
Region: Dodoma
District: Dodoma
Postal address: P.O. Box 1676, Dodoma
Telephone: (255-026) 21177
Latitude:
Longitude:
Altitude:
Nearest Railway station: Dodoma (25 km)
Nearest Bus Station: Dodoma (25 km)

VRTC is 25 km away from Dodoma town, and the nearest urban centre to it is Makutupora.

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Hombolo Research Centre

Hombolo was established in 1971 as an experimental sub-station to Ilonga for trials on drought-resistant crops.

Location
Region Dodoma
District: Dodoma
Postal Address: P.O. Box 299, Dodoma.
Latitude: 05º58'S
Longitude: 35º57'E
Altitude: 1,070m
Nearest Railway Station: Dodoma (40km)
Nearest Bus Stop:Dodoma (40km)
Nearest Airport: Dodoma (40km)

The centre is located about 20km north of the Dodoma/Morogoro main road on the way to Hombolo Dam. The site is on the right hand side of the road near to the CCM Ideological College.

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