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ZIMBABWE’S dairy sector experienced a significant average production growth of 21 percent in the first-half of the year compared to the same period last year.
The increase is largely attributed to concerted efforts that have resulted in a 170 percent increase in national milk production from the country’s lowest point of 37 million litres in 2009 to 99,8 million litres in 2023.
The 21 percent growth was achieved despite the El Nino-induced drought and various challenges faced by farmers in their day-to-day operations ranging from social, and economic to environmental.
Officials say on dairy value chain development, the target for the 2024/2025 summer plan is to increase milk production from 99,8 million in 2023/2024 to 115 million litres.
Zimbabwe has an agro-based economy and the dairy sector is one of the key components of the economy, as it supports the agenda of the National Development Strategy (NDS1), which is anchored by the Agriculture, Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy which seeks to achieve a US$8,2 billion agriculture economy by 2025, propelling the country towards Vision 2030.
Addressing delegates at the Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers 10th annual general meeting this week, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Deputy Minister Davis Marapira said the steady growth in the sector is the culmination of results of various
Government-led livestock sector interventions in the quest to transform the dairy sector.
He noted that to achieve Vision 2030, there is a need to implement policies that help to boost the establishment of local markets, including ensuring that the demand for milk and milk products nationally, regionally, and globally is met, which is self-sustenance with surplus for exports.
At peak production in the early 1990s, Zimbabwe had a 42 000 milking herd producing 260 million litres of milk.
“Today we are witnessing results of various Government-led livestock sector interventions in our quest to transform our dairy sector.
“Efforts to grow the sector have seen national milk production grow by 170 percent from the country’s lowest volume of 37 million litres in 2009 to 99,8 million litres in 2023,” said Dep Minister Marapira.
“In addition to this growth, the first-half of 2024 has seen production grow by an average of 21 percent when compared with the milk produced during the same period in 2023.”
Dep Minister Marapira noted that supporting livestock production is a proven way to improve livelihoods and economic empowerment.
“It is against this background that the Government has continued to create an enabling environment as well as allocate resources and other forms of support to the dairy sector targeting to resolve several perennial challenges,” he said.
The deputy minister said despite the positive momentum, the dairy industry faces a plethora of challenges, which include high production particularly, feed which now accounts for over 70-80 percent, high cost of borrowing to grow the sector and limited climate-proofing facilities, irrigation and pasture development.
Dep Minister Marapira said Zimbabwe has made progress in growing national milk volume. However, with the advent of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, he said there is a need to work hard on improving efficiency at farm and processing levels.
“The cost of growing raw milk in Zimbabwe is already very high due to the high cost of feed, drugs, erratic supply of electricity with farmers ending up using expensive generators for milking and cooling.
“Our cost of raw milk is about 60 cents per litre and is much higher than in other regional countries with South Africa at 35 cents, Zambia 37 cents and Malawi 25 cents, making the Zimbabwean price very uncompetitive. In light of AfCFTA, we need to urgently improve so that our products can compete with regional and continental ones,” said Dep Minister Marapira.
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