Online Reporter
Judith Phiri, Zimpapers Business Hub
THE national trade development and promotion organisation, ZimTrade is working with the Goat Breeders Association of Zimbabwe (GBAZ) on a cluster model for goat farmers to assist them export to the Middle East.
The demand for goat meat is on the rise primarily in the country, while there are many opportunities in the Southern Africa region and beyond the continent, to the Middle East to diversify into these markets.
Speaking on Unlocking Export Potential: Building Competent Goat Clusters for Global Markets during the recent 5th Annual Goat Indaba in Bulawayo, ZimTrade Client Advisor Mr Velile Dube said Matabeleland South will be the pilot province for the cluster model.
“We encourage goat farmers to come together and as ZimTrade we are trying to work on clusters. The cluster model is a grouping of small-scale farmers coming together to meet a big order.
“So we encourage them to do that because exports with these type of products are a numbers game. You would not expect a buyer to buy something like 100 kilogrammes (kgs) for exports all the way to the Middle East, but they will be talking about tonnes,” he said.
“Our pilot will be in Matabeleland South which is Gwanda District and we are starting next year. We hope to experience some successes and then replicate that to other parts of the country.”
He said it made more sense for small-scale farmers to come together as a cluster to be able to meet export requirements and demand, while GBAZ was assisting them identify the goat breeders for the cluster.
Mr Dube said they have been doing the preliminary talks, priming the entire thing and working with the association to let the goat breeders know the do’s and don’ts.
“Ultimately our role as ZimTrade is the end where we are looking for the market. We are not the ones involved in the actual breeding of goats and so we need the association to help the breeders with quality control and measurements that must be done. We then assist with the market side of things,” he added.
“Essentially the Middle East presents a very good market for us because they are an authority unto themselves. They can decide whether they work with you or not without necessarily having to cross-check on anything.”
He said the barriers to entry were also few with the Middle East, while they do not have too many certifications required such as Global GAP usually required in Europe.
Mr Dube said countries in the Middle East were less stringent, but he however, encouraged goat farmers to ensure they have Halaal certification.
GBAZ vice chairperson, Mr Xolisani Mpofu said most farmers we now seeing business in small stocks that can multiply in a short period of time.
“The demand which we are currently seeing of farmers joining the industry who want to farm with the goats, we generally believe that it is coming from the climate change which is making it difficult for us to farm with large animals and also diseases which are affecting large animals,” he said.
“With goats, they are easy to manage because they are small animals, they can actually multiply at a very short period and you can go and fetch your money in the market in a short period of time.”
He said goats also play a crucial role within Zimbabwe’s society by contributing to foreign exchange, making the hides very profitable for the local tanneries and leathercraft industries.
