…churns out 83.06 million litres in first 11 months
By ETimes
| With just one month left to achieve the milk production target of 90 million liters for the current fiscal year, players in the dairy sector have expedited production to meet the deadline. This comes as the country’s raw milk production in the first 11 months to November rose 15% to 83.06 million liters from 71.99 million liters recorded in the same period last year, the latest figures from the agriculture ministry’s dairy services department show. Latest figures show that milk intake by processors was up 14% to 74.95 million liters from 65.80 million liters in the comparable period last year. Accordingly, retailed milk by producers rose 31% to 8.11 million liters from 6.19 million liters in the comparative period.  November milk output surged 12.12% to 8.07 million liters, compared to 7.19 million liters in the same period last year. However, October’s milk output at 8.14 million liters remains the highest so far after replacing the month of July, which produced 7.84 million liters. In the period, average monthly milk growth for the first 11 months stood at 7.55 million liters. For the same period last year, it was at 6.54 million liters. The country’s monthly milk requirement stands at about 10 million liters. To cover the shortage, milk supplies are being supplemented by imports. Players in the dairy industry set an annual target of 90 million liters for the year, an increase that can be realized through collaboration among players in the dairy sector. “For 2022, we should be ending the year with a milk supply target of our target, which we have set at 90 million liters, and we are confident that we will be able to reach that figure by year’s end,” said Addmore Waniwa, an official in the agriculture ministry. “We have managed to reach an 8 million litre monthly milk production for the first time in the past, I believe since 2004-2005, which is a very great achievement, and what is contributing to this increase, we can cite a number of initiatives that are happening with the sector, first and foremost, I would say, the increase in dairy herd.” Zimbabwe’s dairy industry faces a plethora of challenges, which include high production and processing costs, a lack of bankable security of land tenure, limited access to affordable finance and foreign currency, and a high compliance cost. The livestock industry contributes to household and national food and nutrition security, foreign currency earnings, and is a source of livelihood for about 67% of the country’s rural households – Harare |
