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Edgar Vhera
DAIRIBORD Holdings (Ltd) has reported a 44 percent surge in raw milk intake to 11,8 million litres in the third quarter of this year, up from 8,2 million litres for the same quarter last year.
Company secretary, Mr Maurice Karimupfumbi gave the figures in the trading update for the three months from July to September this year.
“The group’s raw milk intake experienced substantial growth, reaching a volume of 11,8 million litres in the quarter under review. This represents a 44 percent increase from 8,2 million litres recorded in the previous year’s corresponding period,” he said.
“Dairibord was not just taking in more milk, but was also increasing its share of what Zimbabwean dairy farmers were supplying. The growth rate exceeds the national milk intake increase of 16,7 percent among processors during the same period, with Dairibord now accounting for 36,7 percent of the national raw milk production,” Mr Karimupfumbi added.
Dairibord raw milk intake rose 42 percent to 31,8 million litres in the first nine months of the year, from 22,4 million litres in the same period last year.
Milk intake by the company accounted for 36,8 percent of national raw milk during the cumulative nine-month period.
Mr Karimupfumbi explained that in spite of the sustained operational challenges, the business demonstrated resilience by achieving growth in sales volume.
“Overall sales volume experienced a 29 percent growth anchored by the milk and food product category. Liquid milk volume recorded a 32 percent year-on-year growth during the quarter, attributed to an increase in raw milk intake,” he said.
Domestic demand remains high and largely unmet, resulting in the group channelling relatively higher volumes onto the local market during the quarter under review.
In outlook, Dairibord’s business seeks to enhance its processing capabilities through capital investment, commitment to research and development, cost management and deliberate focus on export growth.
Dairibord is the largest milk processing company in Zimbabwe with 70 years of experience. The company works with small and large-scale farmers to grow raw milk intake as part of the country’s import substitution strategy.
Meanwhile, statistics released by the Dairy Services Unit yesterday showed that milk production in the first nine months rose from 71 914 536 litres in 2023 to 85 056 390 this year.
Milk intake by processors remains at 92 percent of what the farmers produce with producers retailing the remaining eight percent on their own.
ZADF also indicated that raw milk production leaped 51 percent from 66 million litres in 2017 to 99,82 million litres last year. The number of milking cows rose by 122 percent from 17 968 to 39 811 in 2023.
The national dairy herd also grew by 13,4 percent from 53 250 in 2022 to 60 398 in 2023.
The industry has surpassed the 2025 target of a total dairy herd of 60 000 and 38 000 milking cows.
Online Reporter