Online Reporter
The Herald 23 March 1994
DAIRY producers are expecting to produce only 200 million litres of milk this year, a substantial drop from the 254 million litres produced in 1991, raising fears that Zimbabwe might be reduced from a net exporter to an importer of milk and dairy products.
Over 300 million litres are needed each year to meet the Dairy Marketing Board’s processing capacity. The reduced milk intake might derail the country’s exports if the decline in production remains uncorrected.
Farmers, having failed to keep pace with production costs, are still sending their cows for slaughter or selling them off to other producers. Only 389 producers are now supplying the DMB, after 44 left over the past year due to serious viability problems.
Milk production is still sliding down as the farmers reduce their herds to cut on costs. Production is currently 8 percent down compared to the same period last year. In March last year, milk production was 7 percent down compared to the same period the previous season.
The chief executive of the National Association of Dairy Farmers, Mr Doug Pascoe, said in an interview on Monday that producers were not viable, hence the reduction in the number of producers, cows and milk supply.
The producer price paid to farmers by the DMB was not sufficient to cover the massive increases in the cost of production. Although producers got a price adjustment recently, input costs were still high.
Although supplementary payments had provided relief to farmers, they had also failed to wipe away the producer’s woes. The industry was still in the doldrums. The DMB undertook to make these supplementary payments whenever a profit was made to improve the farmers’ viability. The DMB’s emergence from being a deficit-plagued parastatal to a profit making organisation had been good news to producers.
Lessons for today:
- Milk production had dropped to an expected 200 million litres, down from 254 million litres in 1991, raising fears that Zimbabwe could shift from a net exporter to an importer of dairy products.
- The Dairy Marketing Board (DMB) required over 300 million litres annually, meaning supply was falling far short of processing capacity. Herd sizes were shrinking as farmers slaughtered or sold cows due to unmanageable production costs.
- The article paints a picture of an industry in serious decline, characterised by falling production, shrinking herds, farmer exits, risk of turning to imports. Today’s situation has significantly improved, but the sector still faces challenges.
- Recovery and rising milk production recent data shows strong growth after years of decline. Zimbabwe produced 114 million litres in 2024, a 14.9 percent increase from 2023. Milk production rose further to 120–122 million litres in 2025, reaching a 23-year high. Total output including household (non-commercial) milk reached about 129 million litres in 2025. According to reports, from this year January 2026, Zimbabwe is approaching self-sufficiency, with production expected to match the national requirement of 130 million litres.
