Online Reporter
Judith Phiri,Zimpapers Business Hub
THE Goat Breeders Association of Zimbabwe (GBAZ) has called on goat farmers to upscale into commercial breeding, which has proven to be a profitable business venture in the country.
The demand for goat meat is on the rise primarily due to people wanting to try different types of meat aside from beef, pork and chicken.
Goats provide the communities with a rich source of meat, milk and skins. While there is a market for goat meat locally, there are many opportunities in the Southern Africa region and beyond the continent, to the Middle East to diversify into these markets.
In an interview on the sidelines of the 5th Annual Goat Indaba in Bulawayo, GBAZ vice chairperson, Mr Xolisani Mpofu said most farmers we now seeing business in small stocks that can multiply in a short period of time.
“The demand which we are currently seeing of farmers joining the industry who want to farm with the goats, we generally believe that it is coming from the climate change which is making it difficult for us to farm with large animals and also diseases which are affecting large animals,” he said.
“With goats, they are easy to manage because they are small animals, they can actually multiply at a very short period and you can go and fetch your money in the market in a short period of time.”
He said goats also play a crucial role within Zimbabwe’s society by contributing to foreign exchange, making the hides very profitable for the local tanneries and leathercraft industries.
Mr Mpofu who is also the chief executive officer (CEO) Eland Zakithi Goat Stud, said the breeding of goats has comparative advantages over breeding cattle, especially in semi-arid areas.
“Goats have proven to be more drought resilient and they can utilise a diverse range of plants and shrubs, making them more efficient at utilising the natural resources available. Alongside the higher reproductive rate, the herd numbers recover quicker than cattle herds.
The most common breeds of goats in Zimbabwe include the Mashona, Boar, Marabele and Kalahari goats. Diversity within the goat population allows for commercial production and the Boer goat breed, however, is by far the superior breed,” he added.
He said farmers could supplement their incomes by integrating small ruminants into the farm enterprises, capitalising on the increased demand for goat meat, the venture being a cost-effective startup with minimal labour requirements.
Gwanda goat breeder, Mr Providence Shoko said the surge of goat farmers moving from small scale to commercial was because of opportunities in commercial breeding.
“Being a commercial breeder, you will be having many animals at your farm and you can be able to supply them to the market takers of goat meat or animals for breeding. So, it’s a great movement from small scale to commercial farmers because you can go as far as supplying for supermarkets and major hotels at a consistent rate,” he said.
He said commercial farmers could also tap into the export market because they would be having the capacity unlike small scale farmers.
A recent graduate of Esigodini Agricultural College, Ms Evidence Maketo who was the best student in small stock livestock, said the shift from a small scale goat farmer to commercial was in line with Vision 2030 aspirations.
“This means that farmers are taking the goat farming to another step once they go commercial or large scale. It’s a move that supports President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 of an upper middle income economy where we want to have food security everywhere,” she said.
