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Tapiwanashe Mangwiro
Senior Business Reporter
Zimbabwe recorded a significant jump in raw milk production after a 20 percent surge to 55,11 million litres in the first half of 2024, from 45,90 million litres during the same period in 2023.
This impressive growth comes despite challenges posed by an El Niño-induced drought, which has strained agricultural activities across the country.
At its peak in 1990, Zimbabwe’s milk production reached 260 million litres per year, but in 2008, this dropped to as low as 40 million litres due to a number of factors, including drought and high feed cost.
The aim is to reach a national target of 130 million litres in 2024. This ambitious project by the Zimbabwe government and other development partners involves 1 500 dairy farmers that need to increase the country’s milk production after a slump over more than 2 decades.
Since early the turn of the millennium, Zimbabwe has struggled to meet its annual milk production forcing the southern African nation to import dairy products from mostly from South Africa and Belgium.
According to the Ministry Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development’s Dairy Services Department, the intake of milk by processors increased by 20 percent to 50,64 million litres in the half year 2024 from 42,07 million litres in half year 2023.
Additionally, retail milk production surged by 17 percent to 4,46 million litres compared to 3,82 million litres in the same period the previous year. The average milk output for the reviewed period stood at 9,18 million litres.
A key factor contributing to improved milk output has been the partnership between the Government and the European Union-funded project, Transforming the Zimbabwe Dairy Value Chain for the Future (TranZDVC).
This initiative has been instrumental in supporting small-scale dairy farmers across the country, providing them with crucial resources such as calves and lucerne grass seeds. The efforts are aimed at enhancing production efficiency and sustainability within the dairy sector.
Lucerne, a high-protein forage grass, boasts a protein concentration of 18-22 percent of dry matter, significantly higher than maize silage (8 percent) and good-quality grass silage (14 percent). The introduction of lucerne has not only improved the nutritional quality of dairy feed but also helped reduce production costs.
According to the ministry, the cost of milk has been lowered to about 50 cents per litre, down from up to 70 cents per litre previously.
Dr Edson Chifamba, an international dairy expert, highlighted the benefits of lucerne, particularly its cost-effectiveness and adaptability to drought conditions.
“Medium and large-scale dairy farmers in Zimbabwe have been using lucerne for a while now. However, the uptake by small-scale farmers is currently growing at an exponential rate.
“This is because Lucerne has proved to reduce milk production costs significantly,” he stated.
Lucerne’s deep-rooted system makes it particularly resilient to drought, providing a reliable pasture option even during dry spells. This characteristic has been invaluable during the current El Niño conditions, which have caused other fodder crops, particularly cereals, to struggle.
Despite the challenges of quantifying the exact tonnage of lucerne produced, Dr Chifamba noted that the crop’s resilience has been a crucial factor in maintaining milk production levels.
“In the last season, a lot of farmers grew lucerne in Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, the actual statistic of lucerne tonnage produced has not been quantified. Although the drought was severe, lucerne was not as affected as other fodder crops,” he explained.
Looking ahead, Zimbabwe’s dairy sector has set an ambitious milk production target of 113 million litres for 2024, with plans to increase this figure to 150 million litres by 2025.
Achieving these targets will require continued investment in livestock additions and enhancements in milk productivity per cow per day.
The progress made so far underscores the importance of strategic partnerships and innovations in feed management, setting a positive trajectory for the future of Zimbabwe’s dairy industry amidst challenging environmental conditions.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter