ZIMBABWE has reached a historic milestone in its dairy industry, producing a record 10 million litres of milk in July, the highest monthly output in recent years.
The figures, released at the ongoing Zimbabwe Agricultural Show in Harare on Tuesday, highlight steady growth in the sector, which had previously averaged as low as six million litres a month over the past four years.
The latest record positions the country firmly on track to achieve over 120 million litres of milk this year, up from an average of 80 million litres, as producers benefit from government support and partnerships with development agencies.
“The trajectory is showing exciting times that have the potential to position the dairy industry as a key economic player to facilitate overall growth, riding on the record-high milk production in July. With our target being on at least 120 million litres, a move that will cascade into the rebound and growth of dairy value chains as more milk is now going through formal markets than informal ones, as the market is becoming more rewarding and reliable. Our farmers are now trusting the processors on payments, so we are expecting more entrants into the capital-intensive but viable dairy sector.”
Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Mr Tapiwanashe Dewah, explained the impact of increased milk production in facilitating the availability of the commodity in the country’s retail and wholesale markets, leading to price stability for the benefit of consumers.
“This has got a multiplier effect because consumption is on course for increased times with the need to facilitate a well-nourished nation, while ensuring the creation of jobs, value addition. The move is expected to accelerate economic growth and facilitate growth opportunities. This comes at a time when the nation is focusing on milk self-sufficiency to sustain the desired aspirations for an upper-middle-income society by 2030, riding on interventions by relevant authorities,” he said.
Zimbabwe has to date surpassed the January to July milk production figures after the entry of new players in the market, increased capacity and restored business confidence.
The government, private sector and development partners’ interventions are therefore on course to further scale up milk production in Zimbabwe.
