(The article was published by The Chronicle - 3 April 2022)
Zimbabwe is progressively moving towards self-sufficiency in raw milk production. The Southern African nation of 16 million people has increased raw milk production from 79.6 million litres in 2021 to 91.6 million litres in 2022, a jump of 14.3 percent.
Imports of milk powder have also declined – from 8.9 million kg to 7.4 million kg over the same period. If the current milk production growth rate is maintained, Zimbabwe is confident of surpassing the national milk target requirement of 150 million litres by 2025. The country requires 130 million litres of milk annually.
The country was once a net exporter of milk and dairy products, producing over 260 million litres per year at peak in the early 1990’s.
Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers (ZADF) national chairperson, Ernest Muzorewa says this year Zimbabwe expects a 20 per cent increase in milk production from 91 million litres in 2022, to about 108 million litres.