Youths urged to embrace dairy farming The Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion has also been contributing to the economics of increasing dairy production, not just through its normal input support that all farmers get, but also through adjustments to the tax regime.

Victor Maphosa Mashonaland East Bureau

Successful Marondera dairy farmer, Mr Shaun Webster, has challenged youths to take advantage of Zimbabwe’s conducive agriculture environment and venture into dairy farming.

Doing so would contribute to the transformation of the agriculture sector, he said.

Mr Webster made the remarks during a large-scale dairy farmer’s field day in Marondera recently.

“In Zimbabwe, we have abundance of land, good soils and a climate in certain areas such as this (Marondera) for pasture farming,” he said.

“We have a huge demand for milk in Zimbabwe and today’s market requirement has a deficit of approximately 4 million litres per month, which is approximately 7 000 cows producing 19 litres of milk per day which is what we are doing here.

“We have the land with support from our Government for anyone who wants to start farming. I am a product of that, and we have demand, meaning to say our supply market is around for the next 10 years.”

Mr Webster said with all the advantages, youths have no excuses, but to start dairy farming.

“As you know, the average age of the dairy farmers in Zimbabwe is 63 and we have no youths coming through. With the world population growing and the availability of land decreasing rapidly, I believe that Africa holds some of the most prime land and Zimbabwe has the best climate resource.

“I have seen in the four years of farming, the corporates starting to invest in farming because they can see where the global market is going, yet we are sitting here and allow internationals to come and harvest what in we can do on our own.

“The future is promising and I hope youths would want to be part of the agri-boom here in Zimbabwe, get involved,” he said.

The partnership involving Mr Webster’s Mafuro Safari, Prodairy, AFC and Grasslands Research, is bearing fruit with 1 100 cows producing 12 400 litres of milk every day.

Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland East, Aplonia Munzverengwi, said dairy farming was key to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 2, which seeks to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

“This is in line with Government’s Vision 2030 which targets to achieve an empowered and prosperous upper middle income society by 2030.

“Government is implementing the devolution agenda which is seeing provinces leverage on their various economic opportunities to contribute towards national development,” said Minister Munzverengwi.

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