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FARMERS must treat goat production as a serious commercial enterprise, given its potential to strengthen household incomes and food security, Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Ezra Chadzamira, has said.
Goat farming in Zimbabwe is a fast-growing, climate-resilient agricultural sector constituting an estimated 3,5 million goats nationwide, with 90 percent to 98 percent raised by smallholder and rural farmers.
Speaking at the recently held Goat Breeders Association of Zimbabwe (GBAZ) Annual Goat indaba at the Masvingo Show Grounds, Minister Chadzamira said Masvingo was well positioned to lead in livestock production, citing its large livestock population and access to water resources.
“We are quite grateful for this initiated programme which you brought to Masvingo province,” he said. “Masvingo is one of the very important provinces in regard to agriculture.
“We take agriculture as the key economic factor for our province because the greatest head of livestock is here in Masvingo.
“We constitute more than 20 percent of the total head of livestock in this country. So this programme is quite important for us to breed quality and also bring value to our livestock here in Masvingo. Masvingo province constitutes more than 54 percent of the national dammed water here in the country.
“So, we mostly target irrigation, while also irrigating pastures because of this climate change, we have an advantage over other provinces and we also act as a corridor to other regional countries and other provinces here in Zimbabwe.”
Minister Chadzamira said because of its proximity to Harare, Bulawayo, Beitbridge and Mutare, Masvingo province was a strategic location for investment opportunities.
He said goats would become a permanent feature at all agricultural shows hosted in Masvingo, including provincial and district-level exhibitions, to promote goat production, improve breeding practices and strengthen the livestock sector.
“We really support this programme and we should set an example by supporting the production of high-value, standard breeds promoted through the initiative,” he said.
“Agriculture is a strong business in Zimbabwe which should be taken seriously.”
He described the workshop as the first of its kind in the province and thanked the organisers for bringing farmers together to build their skills and improve production.
GBAZ Southern Region vice chairperson, Ms Yvonne Sibanda, welcomed the participation of regional experts, particularly CMLW Boerdery from South Africa, saying cross-border knowledge exchange was important in strengthening Zimbabwe’s breeding industry.
“The association’s shift towards practical, partner-led training stations was aimed at ensuring farmers leave such events with applicable knowledge rather than information alone,” she said.
“The participation of established breeders, financial sector leadership and agricultural specialists further demonstrated the importance of collaboration in strengthening Zimbabwe’s goat value chain.
“With 103 participants recorded over the two-day gathering, the 2026 indaba reinforced GBAZ’s ambition to become a leading voice in promoting sustainable, commercially oriented goat production in Zimbabwe.”
Ms Sibanda said under the theme “Breeding Resilience: Climate-Smart Goats for a Drought-Ready Zimbabwe” the indaba attracted delegates from Bulawayo, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Harare, Midlands and Chegutu.
Unlike traditional agricultural conferences dominated by presentations, this year’s indaba adopted an interactive training-station approach, allowing delegates to engage directly with industry specialists.
Ms Sibanda said the sessions attracted considerable interest as farmers were introduced to modern reproductive technologies and their potential role in improving breeding programmes and livestock genetics.
“The practical demonstration gave participants an opportunity to observe techniques that are often discussed in theory but are not always accessible to small-scale and emerging breeders,” she said.
“We are excited that GBAZ extended its footprint into other provinces. Hosting this year’s indaba in Masvingo is an important step towards our vision of building a truly national association that reaches farmers across all 10 provinces.”
Ms Sibanda said the future of goat farming in Zimbabwe lies in commercialisation and they want farmers to move beyond simply keeping goats and begin building structured, profitable enterprises.
She said this means investing in better breeding, proper nutrition, animal health, financial literacy, market development and value addition.
The indaba brought together farmers, established and emerging goat breeders, agricultural experts, universities, financial sector representatives, agribusinesses and government officials for two days of practical training, innovation, market development and networking.
CMLW Boerdery, a livestock breeding enterprise from Limpopo Province in South Africa, represented by Marinda Lingenfelder and Werner Lingenfelder, called on Zimbabwean goat breeders to prioritise animal health management to improve herd productivity, strengthen breeding programmes and enhance the quality of their livestock.
They said maintaining good animal health practices was critical to building resilient, productive goat herds and ensuring sustainable growth of the goat industry.
Several agricultural industry players, including National Foods, Chemplex AgroPharma, Fivet, CMLW Boerdery, Eland Zakithi Stud, Gatsheni Boer Goat Stud, Habstone Farm Produce and Bindura University of Science Education, featured in various sessions.
