Zimbabwe’s raw milk production increased by 10,13 percent in January 2023 to 8,14 million litres compared to 7,39 million litres achieved in the same period last year, latest official statistics show.
The country’s monthly milk requirement stands at about 10 million litres. To cover the shortfall, raw milk supplies are being supplemented through imports.
Figures from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development’s dairy services department show that raw milk intake by processors grew by 13,19 percent to 7,53 million litres from 6,65 million litres in the comparable period last year.
On the other hand, raw milk sold by producers declined by 17,41 percent to 609 577 litres from 738 078 litres in the same prior period.
Zimbabwe’s raw milk production rose by 15 percent to 91,31 million litres in 2022 from 79,6 million litres realised in 2021.
This was attributed to the impact, over the years, of importation of heifers through private and public sector initiatives and local breeding through artificial insemination techniques, with an emphasis on the use of sexed semen from dairy bulls. Ernest Muzorewa, national chairman of the Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers (ZADF), told The Herald Business & Finance that, the “Main drivers (of milk production) have been improved nutrition and increased herd from imported heifers and good management as a result of farmer training programmes.”
ZADF began the local heifer breeding programme on July 19, 2022, as part of nationwide measures to improve the genetic quality of the country’s milking herd and supplement current efforts to cut back on the importation of heifers.