Zimbabwe's Raw Milk Production Sees 18% Surge Despite Drought
Zimbabwe’s raw milk production increased by 18% to 85.05 million litres in the first nine months of 2024, compared to 71.91 million litres in the same period last year, despite drought effects.
The improvement is largely due to the partnership between the Zimbabwean Government and the EU-funded Transforming the Zimbabwe Dairy Value Chain for the Future (TranZDVC) project.
TranZDVC has supported small-scale dairy farmers by providing resources such as calves and lucerne grass seeds, enhancing production efficiency and sustainability in the dairy sector.
Lucerne, also known as alfalfa, has been crucial, offering a high-protein forage crop with a protein concentration of 18-22% of dry matter, compared to maize silage (8%) and good-quality grass silage (14%).
The introduction of lucerne has improved the nutritional quality of dairy feed and reduced production costs.
The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development reported that the cost of milk has decreased to about 50 cents per litre, down from up to 70 cents per litre previously.
Lucerne’s well-established root system makes it especially resilient to drought, offering a dependable pasture option even in dry periods.
This trait has proven invaluable during the current El Niño conditions, which have led to difficulties for other fodder crops, particularly cereals.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s dairy sector has established a milk production target of 113 million litres for 2024, with plans to raise this goal to 150 million litres by 2025.
More: Pindula News
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