The Sunday News
Dumisani Nsingo Senior Farming Reporter
AN American consulting company, Fintrac has implemented a five-year programme aimed at coming up with various initiatives meant to assist Umzingwane Dairy Association (UDA) to improve the sustainability and viability of its milk project. UDA chairperson Mrs Sheila Lupuwana said Fintrac was assisting the association to improve its pasture and fodder establishment and management for its dairy project. The association runs Umzingwane Milk Centre, a brainchild of rural farmers drawn from around Umzingwane District and situated at Mawabeni Business Centre.
“Fintrac has started assisting us in fodder production. We hope this will alleviate the perennial forage problems we are facing. Dairy animals, because of their high requirement for a higher plane of nutrition, need more nutritious forage and will almost always require feed supplementation.
“We have over the years grown legumes and various types of grass which suit dairy cows but the biggest challenge we have been facing has been recurrent droughts and water shortages,” Mrs Lupuwana said.
The association needs over $20 000 for the refurbishment and purchasing of new equipment for its milk processing centre.
Early this year, UDA applied for a $20 000 grant from a non-governmental organisation, SNV but nothing has materialised to date.
“We have been presenting our papers to a number of donors seeking funding to revamp our milk centre but all efforts have been in vain. Fintrac has promised to link us to micro-finance institutions that will give us a loan of which we will pay at an interest rate of one percent per month.
“We intend to use the funds to buy modern milk processing equipment as the one we have is outdated and we will also need to put flooring of ceramic tiles, which are highly recommended in line with health and hygienic standards requirements,” Mrs Lupuwana said.
Zimbabwe Dairy Services Matabeleland region coordinator Mr Kasirayi Gwezuva said the initiative by Fintrac would go a long way in improving milk yield at Umzingwane Milk Centre.
“The initiative by this organisation will go a long way especially here in Matabeleland region where the biggest challenge is mostly feed as it is a dry region. Any initiative to do with the feed component would go a long way in making dairy enterprises more viable. It will also enable farmers to cut down on costs of buying stock feed from manufacturers,” Mr Gwezuva said.
Fintrac is implementing projects across three continents to improve incomes and food security for some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.
In Zimbabwe, the organisation is involved in a programme dubbed Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development.
The programme seeks to increase incomes and food security for 3 000 beef and 2 000 dairy smallholder producers as well as improving hygiene, nutrition and build the capacity of local organisations.
“I can confirm that we have implemented a five-year programme at Umzingwane Dairy which is part of programme to improve food security for 3 000 beef and 2 000 dairy farmers in the country and in that area that’s what we are doing.
“We implemented the programme in June,” said Fintrac senior communications officer Ms Emelda Takaodza.
