ZIMBABWE will next year host the ninth Eastern and Southern African Dairy Association conference and exhibition which is set to attract more than 300 delegates from 40 countries.

Esada chairperson Dr Kipkirui Arap Langa’at said this while addressing the National Association of Dairy Farmers’ annual general meeting in the capital.
The conference, to be held mid-next year, comes to Zimbabwe for the first time, and follows previous ones held in Uganda, Zambia, Rwanda, South Africa and Tanzania. Esada was formed in 2004 with the overarching mission of increasing trade in dairy products.

Specific Esada objectives include actively lobbying for an improved policy environment conducive to regional and international trade with the new association already working with Comesa on the regional dairy policy agenda.
Dr Langa’at said the annual congress would enable local and international dairy stakeholders to meet and share experiences.

“Dairy has the capacity to increase economic growth and create job opportunities using existing natural resources and linkages through the value chain of the industry.
“Increased dairy production would make a major contribution to food security in Africa particularly protein,” he said.
He said the conference would also highlight opportunities for investment in the dairy sector in Africa with a focus on the host country.

“This will expose African dairy practitioners and suppliers to new technologies and ideas for enhanced competitiveness,” Dr Langa’at said.
“It will also afford African dairy processors, service providers and industry suppliers a unique opportunity to showcase their products for benchmarking and trade,” he said.

Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development head of dairy services Mr Tendai Marecha welcomed the development saying it would be an opportunity to tell the true Zimbabwean story.

“This will provide a window for us to shine as a nation and simultaneously to market, not only our industry, but our country at large. We believe this event will, in its small way, help to clear some of the numerous negative perceptions often peddled by some regional and international media,” he said. — New Ziana.