Govt pledges support for dairy farmers

From Abel Zhakata in Marange
Government will soon set up dairy boutiques at milk collection centres dotted across the country to boost production, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Cde Paddy Zhanda said yesterday. Addressing dairy farmers in Marange during a tour of the Marange Dairy Farmers’ Association project, Cde Zhanda said the boutiques would result in small-scale farmers pooling their resources to form a unit that would

enable them to enjoy economies of scale.

He said milk production had dropped drastically in recent years and Government was committed to resuscitating local production to minimise imports that were bleeding the economy.

“Dairy farming is a volume business, which means that our small-scale farmers should produce more milk in order to make a profit and be viable. To this end, we are going to form dairy boutiques at all milk collections points in the country. This means that instead of keeping a few heifers at their individual farms, which is expensive, we want the small-scale farmers to form big units. They pool their resources together and do their business from one point.”

Cde Zhanda said a total of 400 heifers have since been secured by the ministry that would be distributed throughout the country.

Speaking at the same occasion, the Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Dr Christopher Mushohwe said the dairy projects would improve the lives of communities.

Cde Mushohwe urged the farmers to stay focused and not to be misled by politicians who wanted to derail their project.

“We moved around to check on the cows and they are being taken good care of. We want this project to be a role model for new-age dairy production.

“Most of our milk products are being imported and we urge the farmers here to fill in that gap. We must emulate what the First Family is doing in Mazowe at Gushungo Farm,” he said.