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Zimbabwe dairy sector grows, but
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Zimbabwe's dairy industry has recorded encouraging growth, with raw milk production rising by 15% over the past year. However, escalating feed costs - which account for 80% of production expenses — are threatening to derail the sector's progress and competitiveness in regional markets.
Data presented at the Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers (ZADF) annual meeting revealed that national milk output grew from 91 million to 104 million litres, while the national dairy herd increased by 13.4%, from 39 000 to 44 200 cattle.
Despite this upward trend, Zimbabwe Dairy Industry Trust chairperson Themba Mutsvairo warned that the industry faces serious headwinds due to high input costs.
"Feed costs have made our milk the region's most expensive," Mutsvairo said.
"The elephant in the room is the cost of feed. We are buying milk at the highest price compared to regional parity. If we don't address this now, we won't survive open trade."
He cautioned that Zimbabwe risks being priced out of regional markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which promotes tariff-free trade across Africa.
According to Mutsvairo, Zimbabwe should be producing over 765 million litres of milk annually to meet the World Health Organisation's per capita recommendation of 45 litres. However, due to poor farm efficiencies and high production costs, current output remains far below this benchmark.
Farmers at the conference stressed the urgent need for "stable feed prices, lower production costs, and expanded cold chain infrastructure" to ensure the industry remains viable and competitive.
Agriculture deputy minister Vangelis Haritatos acknowledged the challenges, but lauded the gains made so far.
"We're making steady progress towards milk self-sufficiency," Haritatos said, crediting government interventions such as the Presidential Silage Scheme for improving productivity, especially among small-scale dairy farmers.
Zimbabwe currently requires about 120 million litres of milk annually to meet local demand. The shortfall has traditionally been covered by imports, mostly from South Africa. However, government officials say the country is now producing over 85% of its domestic requirements, and imports are expected to drop significantly by 2026.
Industry stakeholders remain cautiously optimistic. With increasing investment in breeding, nutrition, and mechanisation, and more farmers joining the dairy value chain, Zimbabwe's goal of milk self-sufficiency is within reach.
"While we celebrate this growth, we are mindful of the need to stabilise stockfeed prices, reduce production costs and expand cold chain infrastructure to maintain the momentum," the farmers said in a joint statement.
Data presented at the Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers (ZADF) annual meeting revealed that national milk output grew from 91 million to 104 million litres, while the national dairy herd increased by 13.4%, from 39 000 to 44 200 cattle.
Despite this upward trend, Zimbabwe Dairy Industry Trust chairperson Themba Mutsvairo warned that the industry faces serious headwinds due to high input costs.
"Feed costs have made our milk the region's most expensive," Mutsvairo said.
"The elephant in the room is the cost of feed. We are buying milk at the highest price compared to regional parity. If we don't address this now, we won't survive open trade."
He cautioned that Zimbabwe risks being priced out of regional markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which promotes tariff-free trade across Africa.
According to Mutsvairo, Zimbabwe should be producing over 765 million litres of milk annually to meet the World Health Organisation's per capita recommendation of 45 litres. However, due to poor farm efficiencies and high production costs, current output remains far below this benchmark.
Farmers at the conference stressed the urgent need for "stable feed prices, lower production costs, and expanded cold chain infrastructure" to ensure the industry remains viable and competitive.
Agriculture deputy minister Vangelis Haritatos acknowledged the challenges, but lauded the gains made so far.
"We're making steady progress towards milk self-sufficiency," Haritatos said, crediting government interventions such as the Presidential Silage Scheme for improving productivity, especially among small-scale dairy farmers.
Zimbabwe currently requires about 120 million litres of milk annually to meet local demand. The shortfall has traditionally been covered by imports, mostly from South Africa. However, government officials say the country is now producing over 85% of its domestic requirements, and imports are expected to drop significantly by 2026.
Industry stakeholders remain cautiously optimistic. With increasing investment in breeding, nutrition, and mechanisation, and more farmers joining the dairy value chain, Zimbabwe's goal of milk self-sufficiency is within reach.
"While we celebrate this growth, we are mindful of the need to stabilise stockfeed prices, reduce production costs and expand cold chain infrastructure to maintain the momentum," the farmers said in a joint statement.
Source - NewsDay