US$2 billion livestock industry by 2025 within reach

Elton Manguwo

THE Government’s US$2 billion livestock industry by 2025 is on track if growth in the beef and dairy sub-sectors continues.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary Dr John Basera said year on year growth being recorded in these sub-sectors will position the country to achieve its 2025 target.

“In 2020 the livestock industry was worth US$1,1 billion and now its US$1,5 billion. This is a sharp 36 percent growth,” said Dr Basera.

The Livestock Recovery and Growth Plan (LRGP) is meant to chart a new course focusing on livestock production with emphasis on animal health and market development to boost growth.

The dairy sector has been experiencing growth driven by increasing productivity and production with output expected to reach 103 million litres from 90 million by end of this year.

The country’s beef cattle herd has gone up by two percent from 5 509 983 in 2021 to 5 642 400 in 2022.

The livestock industry is an important sub-sector of agriculture with the potential to contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through exports given Zimbabwe’s comparative advantages in livestock production.

“We are encouraging farmers to create linkages with livestock value chain players, a move that will facilitate the gradual transition from small-scale to more commercially oriented cattle production,” said Dr Basera.

The Government through the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) is implementing the cattle auction systems to create order in the cattle marketing.

“We are looking to increase production, productivity, market competitiveness and organisational efficiencies for cattle producers through efforts to improve efficiencies at production level by promoting good animal practices such as dipping, vaccination and supplementary feeding to reduce animal mortality rate,” said Dr Basera.

Critically, the livestock sector contributes to household and national food nutritional security, foreign currency earnings and is a source of livelihood for 67 percent of the country’s rural households, with approximately 30 000 workers employed within the dairy value chain.

The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development through various initiatives such as the Presidential Blitz Tick Grease programme and the Presidential Silage Scheme to increase the country’s herd.

The country’s cattle industry has seen a two percent decline in cattle mortality rate as a result of improved animal health and reduction in poverty deaths.

“We have managed to drop the cattle mortality rates from 11 percent previous season to nine percent this year as a result of the religious implementation of the Presidential Blitz Tick Grease programme”, said Dr John Basera underlining how this will realise high income returns for farmers.