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Precious Manomano

Herald Reporter

Milk production in Zimbabwe is now expanding at a rate of 36 percent this year as support by the Government to dairy farmers continues to bear fruit.

From an output of 75 million litres of raw milk in 2020, the country’s dairy farmers now produce around 91,4 million litres. Imports are still required but local production is cutting these back. The sector has been facing various challenges including high production costs and low productivity.

Government together with other stakeholders have made efforts to improve raw milk production through initiatives such as training farmers on best practices and providing better genetics for the dairy herd.

Speaking during a field day on dairy, wheat and reverse engineering technology in Gwebi, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Dr John Basera said the dairy subsector is set for growth.

“We are now experiencing some 15 percent growth year on year from 2021 to 2022 but what is more fascinating now is the impact of ramping local production on the import substitution agenda. Now imagine from 2021 our total milk products and milk powder imports amounted to 8,9 million kg by 2021. But it has dropped by 17 percent to 7,4 million kg, which was quite incredible. It is because we have this agenda of import substitution or rather simply put, import replacement, replacing imports by local production, creating more jobs, upscaling the value chains,” he said.

Dr Basera indicated that Gwebi Agricultural College is leading by example and is indeed the centre of dairy excellency.

The college has a herd of 696 dairy cattle and a 360 milking herd which produces about 15 litres per cow. Dairibord is their major customer.

Dr Basera said that the quarter comparison of the 2022 to 2023 raw milk production is 36 percent better than last year, which is quite incredible, adding that this is actually a direct and positive response to several Government’s interventions in the dairy subspace.

The college is also doing well in wheat production, mechanisation of Pfumvudza and there is no doubt that the college is producing polished graduates ready to take any challenge in the agricultural sector.

Dr Basera applauded the partnership and team work by stakeholders such as Palmline, the Huck family and Zimplow, adding that the college has demonstrated its goal to ensure and contribute towards national food security and self-sustenance.He said agricultural colleges should graduate those who are employment creators, not employment seekers.

Gwebi principal, Mrs Shupikai Sibanda, said farmers should be technically knowledgeable, hence the need to equip them accordingly.

“We are showcasing the curriculum which is defined in the syllabus that we are training our students who are here today and we want to define ourselves as the epicentre of agricultural knowledge and transformation and as such we are anchoring ourselves in the foundation of agricultural research, education, advisory services and extension. We want to equip them with requisite skills,” she said.

Gwebi student Ken Gomwe who is currently in his final year indicated that farming is his main passion, adding that he wants to be an employer not an employee.

“‘My parents have a farm and I am sure with the skills I have acquired here so far I can do better because so far I am resourced with skills. I will be a good farmer considering the skills I have so far,” he said.

The Government supported the dairy sector in the national budget by introducing a 5 percent duty on dairy imports to capacitate the dairy recovery programme. At the same time the budget sets a phased reduction in the quantity of raw cheese and raw milk powder that can be imported each year without high duties.

Under the livestock and recovery growth plan, milk production is intended to rise from the obtaining annual production of 79,9 million litres to 150 million litres, and increase the dairy herd from 39 980 to 60 000 by 2025. About US$75 million is required to fully revitalise the sector.