The Sunday News
GOVERNMENT is working on various initiatives to improve the country’s milk production which has been on a free-fall for over a decade, a senior Government official has said. Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Deputy Minister responsible for livestock production Cde Paddy Zhanda said Government was working towards creating a conducive environment to enable investment into the dairy sector.
He said at its peak, Zimbabwe produced about 250 million litres of milk annually, exporting to the region and beyond but the volumes had plunged to just around 50 million litres, a situation which has led to an influx of imported dairy products into the country to satisfy the market.
According to statistics from the Zimbabwe Dairy Services in 2012 the country’s raw milk volumes were 56 million litres and last year the volumes dropped to 55 million litres.
“At the moment our milk production is very low and as such there is an influx of imported milk products but there isn’t a precise figure of how much we are importing.
“We used to produce about 250 million litres annually and now we are producing only 56 million thus imports are covering the huge deficit on the market. We are, however, working towards reducing this import bill,” Cde Zhanda said.
He said Government was on the verge of issuing beneficiaries of the land reform lease agreements as a way of guaranteeing them ownership of the resource to ensure improved productivity on the farms.
“Government is working towards putting measures to create a conducive environment to enable investment into the dairy sector. It recognises the need to make assurance to newly resettled farmers thus the reason of issuing out lease agreements in order for them to improve production,” Cde Zhanda said.
“We are also taking stock of all the milk parlours throughout the country. Most of them are in a derelict state and there is a need to rehabilitate them to improve on milk production as well as quality.
“We will also carry out a number of programmes aimed at sensitising farmers on the importance of the sector and all this requires funding thus Government will be coming to the fore,” he said.
Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers (ZADF) Matabeleland region chairman Mr Benedict Moyo said there was a need for concerted efforts by all stakeholders to improve the country’s dairy industry.
“We are witnessing an increase in terms of dairy farmers and this will certainly culminate in increased milk production. The country used to produce 200 million litres a year but now volumes are hovering between 40 and 50 million litres.
“For us to achieve our target milk production of between 145 and 150 million litres a year there is a need for concerted efforts by our supporting partners, Government and the farmers themselves. We, however, have to take into cognisance that the Government doesn’t have adequate funds but can facilitate an enabling environment to improve the sector,” Mr Moyo said.
He said the three-year Zimbabwe Dairy and Livestock (ZDL) programme initiated last year was bearing fruit.
The scheme is being facilitated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with Land O’Lakes International Development.
Under the programme small holder dairy farmers were allocated three in-calf cows and were assisted to build basic infrastructure for the= upkeep of the animals. They are expected to pay monthly instalments for a period of three years.
“The (ZDL) scheme has been a success and will go a long way in ensuring increased milk volumes as most of the in-calf cows which were distributed to a number of farmers have since given birth. Some farmers happened to face problems in ensuring proper upkeep of the cows but that was addressed as we held numerous workshops on animal husbandry,” Mr Moyo said.
Focused on rebuilding smallholder milk production and collection in areas where dairy production formerly thrived, ZDL has helped to markedly increase incomes and food security for vulnerable households through the restoration of profitable dairy businesses and the stimulation of market linkages across the dairy value chain.
Through the programme, smallholder farmers’ annual average incomes from milk sales have already increased from $312 to $2 943 and they have produced about 3,6 million litres of milk worth $2,3 million.
Land O’Lakes achieved its results in collaboration with the ZADF, Tiller’s International, International Relief and Development, and Micro King, which respectively focused on enhancing effective management by farmers and Milk Collection Centres, scaling up low-cost solutions for improved animal traction and transport, and identifying and implementing appropriate financial services for farmers.
“During winter milk volumes tend to drop thus we are advising farmers to buy supplementary stock feed, salt blocks and Vitamin C to ensure optimum yields. We also urge them to dip the animals regularly as well as ensuring that the cows don’t calve during this period,” said Mr Moyo.
He said his organisation was carrying out a campaign aimed at urging farmers to improve milk quality.
He said the organisation was advocating for the reduction of Somatic Cell Count (SCC) to levels below 300 000.
SCC is an indicator of the quality of milk. White blood cells known as leukocytes constitute the majority of somatic cells in question.
The number of somatic cells increases in response to pathogenic bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus, a cause of mastitis. The SCC is quantified as cells per ml.
General agreement rests on the values of less than 100 000 cells per millitre for uninfected cows and greater than 300 000 for cows infected with significant pathogens.
“We are urging farmers to reduce SCC in line with the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation which advocates for food with improved nutrients,” Mr Moyo said.
ZADF is carrying out the 300 000 SCC campaign in collaboration with ZDS.
