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Lovemore Zigara Midlands Bureau
Kwekwe-based dairy processor Dendairy has started an ambitious programme dubbed “Milk School Programme”, where it is distributing small sachets of milk to schools at subsidised rates. The programme has already been rolled out in some schools in Harare and Midlands and plans are underway to take the programme to other provinces.

Dendairy managing director Mr Darren Coetzee said he was hoping that by the end of 2018, every school in the country will be covered under the programme.

“We have got new pocket pouch machine, which accommodates small quantities like your 100 millilitres of milk,” he said. “So we are offering these to the schools at much discounted rate as we feel that they need to drink milk every day. It is something that we experienced when we were youngsters when we received milk at school and we want to revive that so that they at least have something when they go to school every day. We have started a milk programme this year which took off slowly in Harare and now it has covered schools in the Midlands. We are developing it so that by the end of 2018 every child will get a packet of milk everyday by third term.”

Meanwhile, the dairy processor is refurbishing Kaguvi Vocational Training Centre with a view of training dairy farmers in the Midlands. Mr Coetzee says the move would go a long way in boosting milk production in the country.

“We are refurbishing and rebuilding Kaguvi Vocational Training Center so that we establish a dairy center there. We want to train new dairy farmers so that in the near future we grow the dairy industry,” he said. There has been a steady growth in the dairy industry with milk production jumping from 35 million litres per year in 2010 to 70 million litres last year.