Online Reporter
Lonster Mutata
Herald Correspondent
The dairy industry is on the cusp of a new growth trajectory, with Government calling for innovation, evidence-based policymaking and stronger public-private partnerships to transform the sector into a competitive regional exporter while closing a national milk supply gap estimated at nearly 100 million litres annually.
Addressing the Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers’ 12th annual general meeting in Harare recently, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka, said the dairy sector had emerged as one of the country’s agricultural success stories.
He said national milk production has increased from just under 17 million litres in 2017 to 155 million litres last year.
Minister Masuka said commercial producers contributed 122 million litres, while household production added another 33 million litres, reflecting the growing role of smallholder farmers in strengthening national food security.
Demand has equally surged, rising from about 130 million litres in 2023 to approximately 150 million litres today.
However, imported powdered milk, equivalent to about 95 million litres of raw milk, means the country’s total annual milk requirement now stands between 220 million and 240 million litres, highlighting opportunities for local producers to expand production and substitute imports.
Dr Masuka said the next phase of growth must be anchored on innovation, modernisation and industrialisation to realise Vision 2030 and build a prosperous upper-middle-income economy.
He challenged the industry to generate comprehensive data on employment, production, value addition, farmer numbers, processors and the gross value of every dairy product segment to enable Government to formulate more responsive, evidence-based policies.
Dairy farming must remain commercially viable, profitable and sustainable despite the challenges, which include high feed costs, mechanisation constraints, utility expenses and land-related issues, he added.
Feed alone, noted Minister Masuka, accounts for between 60 and 80 percent of production costs. Government remains committed to creating an enabling policy environment while protecting local producers through appropriate tariff and non-tariff measures as the industry expands towards self-sufficiency and export competitiveness.
He applauded the Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers for taking leadership in implementing resolutions adopted during the recent Regional Dairy Conference in Victoria Falls, attended by delegates from 19 African countries.
Minister Masuka encouraged producers to embrace opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area, describing the continental market of more than 1,2 billion people as a strategic growth platform that should be viewed as an opportunity rather than a threat.
Representing the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Harare Metropolitan Province, Senator Charles Tawengwa, Director for Economic Planning, Mr Trust Mudzingwa said Harare remains the backbone of the country’s dairy value chain, processing and marketing more than 70 percent of Zimbabwe’s milk.
As the nation’s largest consumer market, he said, the province provides unmatched opportunities for producers, processors and retailers while driving investment, value addition, efficiency and product quality.
Mr Mudzingwa called for stronger collaboration among Government, farmers, processors, financial institutions, researchers and development partners to improve productivity, strengthen market access and increase the consumption of safe, nutritious and locally produced dairy products.
Chief Director in the Department of Veterinary Services, Dr Pious Makaya, said robust animal health systems remain fundamental to building a productive, competitive and sustainable dairy industry.
He commended the success of the Dairy Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccination Programme, implemented jointly by Government and the Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers, saying it has strengthened disease control in key dairy-producing areas and protected farmers’ investments.
Despite severe Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreaks affecting neighbouring countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe has maintained resilience through proactive surveillance, coordinated vaccination campaigns and close collaboration between Government and industry.
Dr Makaya said ongoing vaccination programmes against Foot-and-Mouth Disease, anthrax and rabies, coupled with improvements in the national dipping programme, continue to strengthen national livestock health and safeguard dairy production.
Looking ahead, he said the Directorate of Veterinary Services will intensify vaccination campaigns, strengthen disease surveillance, improve veterinary extension services, expand laboratory diagnostic capacity and promote modern animal health management practices to improve productivity, facilitate trade and position Zimbabwe’s dairy industry for sustained long-term growth.
The conference reinforced growing confidence that Zimbabwe’s dairy industry is entering a new phase of expansion, underpinned by supportive Government policies, improved animal health systems, increasing consumer demand and greater collaboration across the value chain.
With a substantial domestic supply gap still to be filled and access to continental markets through the AfCFTA, stakeholders believe the sector is positioned to become one of the country’s leading agricultural growth industries over the coming decade.
