CPT Coenen, LTC Pope, MAJ Asey, LTC Machera, 1SG Holland and I head to the Ministry at 9 AM after loading all the unused items to transfer to them. We are joined by 1LT McCoy and MSG Rodriguez and we all exchange goodbyes several times. In the meantime we are offered a tour of the Tanga Fresh dairy cooperative processing plant, which we accept. This will give us a much better idea of the collection and distribution system and perhaps answer some questions about milk quality standards, etc. etc.
Some confusion sets in as we discuss doing this, since it might involve necessitating CPT Coenen and me to stay over in Tanga another night, or perhaps delay the departure to Dar of the entire convoy if we can’t travel back as a separate vehicle. We eventually decide to take the tour with MAJ Nigoli (sp?) of the Tanzania Peoples Defense Forces who is assigned to work with the US Civil Affairs Team in Tanga, and LTC (Dr.) Machera who has been with us the entire time. LTC Machera will ride back to Dar with Amanda Coenen and me once we finish the tour.
While waiting in Dr. Shemolu’s office at the Ministry, I am able to determine from a chart on his wall that the 2006 census of animals in Tanga district was 16,000 total cattle, about 6,000 “dairy” and “10,000” native. Goats and sheep were about 6,000 total. These numbers seemed low to me and we discussed how in the US, beef producers are often reluctant to discuss the numbers of their cattle. We share a laugh because the Tanzanias say their farmers are exactly the same way, particularly the Massai. They will say they have 300 when a thousand are in plain view. If the census of 16,000 is anywhere near accurate, our total number of cattle treated on the VETCAP (9,988) represents approximately 62% of the total, which is not bad.
I drive with Dr. Shimbolu to the processing plant which is in downtown Tanga, close to the German memorial park commemorating their WWI dead from the battles in East Africa. We are introduced to the Executive Secretary of the Tanga Dairies Cooperative Union Ltd., Mr. Mohamed B. Rashid, who actually had visited us on one of the VETCAP sites a few days before. As is the custom in Tanzania, we sign guest books, in this case two of them, one for the cooperative and another for the plant itself (I think this was the second entity but could not swear to it; mainly just realized that he apparently wears at least two hats).
Mr. Rashid speaks good English and explains the organization and history of the coop and plant well and distinctly. Tanga Fresh is set up as a cooperative with some investors. With assistance from the Dutch in the late 1990’s the plant was set up and is soon to move to a new location near the airport which we have passed by several times during our travels to VETCAP sites around Tanga. The farmers who provide milk for the coop take their product to pooling stations, apparently once or twice a day, where it is collected and then transported to the processing plant in Tanga. Later on we see a truck arriving with the unrefrigerated milk in cans, the same type previously used in the U.S.
Mr. Rashid explains that supply and demand forces have altered how they have done business, with changes being necessitated as time progressed. They needed to ship to the Dar es Salaam market to be competitive, which they are doing. They produce butter, cheese and yogurt as well as fresh product. Seasonal supply of milk dictates cheese production goes with the season. Prices are set by a board within the coop and farmers are paid every 15 days.
Major Digoli of the TDPF states that among the people the widely held impression is that the processed milk product from Tanga Fresh and other dairy coops is of lower quality than fresh, raw milk, probably because of the cream content they are used to. Mr. Rashid acknowledges this and explains that they are trying to market their products advantages, primarily that it is a more healthy product. Dr. Shimbolu later explains that there is a law pending passage in the national legislature which would require milk to be pasteurized which would promote the public health, and that the politics were lined up that he believed it would pass.
We then tour the plant, beginning with the reception station where we meet Mr. Adam Gamba, Processing Superintendent. He shows us the vessel where milk is poured, apparently involving some filtering with a cloth, and weighed or measured. They measure in liters based on what we have been told. At the reception station there are three tests conducted, one of which was a type of “alcohol” test which is used to determine freshness; I did not understand the other three initial screening tests. We pass by several bulk tanks which chill the milk, to that point which had not been refrigerated and then go into the laboratory. Bacteriological testing is conducted, which I assume is similar to a standard plate count but I am unable to determine if this is the exact methodology. Somatic Cell Counts are not done, apparently, and antibiotic testing is done through a type of bacterial inhibition testing which is non-specific, i.e. they are not specifically testing for beta lactams, etc. I do not believe that other types of residues are tested for, which squares with the lack of concern with withdrawal times we encountered on the VETCAP. We are told that they do test for brucellosis and TB although I am not able to determine how. They also test product shelf life in this lab, with some of the yogurt and milk in a refrigerator for monitoring.
We go into the plant itself, passing by the pasteurizer which is apparently high temperature short time, being accomplished with stainless steel tubing. The fluid milk is packaged in .25 and .5 liter plastic bags for delivery and sale. Product is stored in refrigerated conex type containers which are underneath Mr. Rashid’s office. There is a product store which sells to the general public at the plant’s entrance. A few bicycles with baskets on the back are used to distribute Tanga Fresh milk without refrigeration. We have seem milk lories on the road that do appear to be refrigerated and which may be taking product to sale points elsewhere. In general the plant is good, although it clearly would not pass as a grade A facility in the U.S. They will be able to increase their capacity when they move to their new facility. The plant personnel are knowledgeable and dedicated although standards are nowhere as high as in the U.S. According to Dr. Shimbolu, government officials, apparently the Ministry of Health does inspect the eleven pooling stations and there is attention paid to diseases of primary public health importance such as TB and Brucella.
At the end of the tour CPT Coenen and I depart with LTC Machera and the driver for the 5 hour trip back south to Dar es Salaam. We make a couple of pit stops enroute and buy some roasted cashews from one of the many vendors who descend upon stopped cars in gas stations or other stopovers. They are not salted but are good. We arrive about 5:30 PM and check into the Colosseum Hotel where we stayed before.
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