Gender, Biodiversity and Local Knowledge Systems (LinKS) to Strengthen Agricultural and Rural Development (GCP/RAF/338/NOR) Proceedings of the First National Workshop on Gender, Biodiversity and Local Knowledge Systems (LinKS) to Strengthen Agricultural and Rural Development LinKS Report 1:99 22-23 June, 1999 Tanesco Training Centre MorogoroTanzania has a large livestock population of about 13 million cattle; 3.7 million sheep; 6.4 million goats; 275,00 pigs and over 22 million chickens (1984 Census). The ruminant population is mainly concentrated in Northern zone (Arusha), Central Zone (Dodoma and Singida); Western zone (Shinyanga and Tabora) and Lake zone (Mwanza and Mara). This distribution has an important implication in terms of production, marketing and resource use pattern (particularly land resource). Livestock production in Tanzania is organised under two main sectors; the commercial and the traditional sectors. The commercial sector was once dominated by a few para-statal dairy farms and beef ranches which have recently been privatised. This sector also include a thriving urban and peri-urban private commercial poultry and small-scale dairy farms and accounts for about 15% of the total livestock population in the country. The traditional sector accounts for about 99% of the country's cattle herd and 85% of the chicken. Under this sector animals kept are mainly indigenous breeds like Tanzania shorthorn zebu (TSZ) (98%) while pure beef and dairy breeds constitute 0.8% and 1% respectively (Shayo and Mlay 1986).