The Sunday News
Dumisani Nsingo Senior Farming Reporter
MILK volumes in Matabeleland region are likely to drop this year compared to more than six million litres produced last year, largely due to the failure by farmers to obtain adequate stock feed and an aging cow herd, experts have warned.The continuous stock feed price increases in the wake of the liquidity crunch being faced by the country resulted in many dairy farmers failing to properly feed their animals culminating in low milk yields.
“This year the region’s milk volumes are going to be low largely due to the fact that the cows that were loaned to some small holder farmers are not yielding much and are producing quantities almost like indigenous cows because of old age.
“Apart from poor performance some of the cows died due to failure to adapt to the feeding regime introduced to them. We also have a scenario whereby farmers are failing to do artificial insemination while others do it but when the cow goes for pregnancy diagnosis there will be no presence of an in-calf,” said the Zimbabwe Dairy Services Matabeleland region co-ordinator, Mr Kasirayi Gwezuva.
Last year the region produced a total of 6 295 971 litres.
The volumes from January to October last year stood at 5 190 877 litres but during the same period this year the country had only recorded 4 166 881 litres, a deficit of 1 023 966 litres.
Although the region benefitted under the three-year Zimbabwe Dairy and Livestock (ZDL) programme last year, the scheme was only fruitful during the early stages.
Later some of the cows distributed under the scheme failed to improve volumes due to ageing while some of the animals died owing to change in upkeep conditions.
The scheme was 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 were expected to pay monthly instalments for a period of three years.
Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers (ZADF) Matabeleland region chairman, Mr Benedict Moyo, said 29 cows distributed under the ZDL programme were too old to significantly improve the region’s volumes.
“We are expecting the milk yield to improve with the onset of the rains. The other issue why we had low yields this year is largely due to the liquidity crisis being faced by the country and to make matters worse the price of feed increased while the milk producer price remained static at between 54 to 62 cents a litre,” Mr Moyo said.
