Call to embrace silage production
LIVINGSTONE MARUFU
Government has urged small scale farmers to embrace silage and pasture production to boost milk production amid shortages of the product in the market.
Zimbabwe is battling milk and milk products shortages with some retailers having gone for a month without fresh milk hence there is an urgent need to ramp up production.
The farmers are currently producing 80 million litres against a demand of 120 million litres.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Anxious Masuka, told Business Times that both small scale dairy farmers need support to improve milk production.
“Based on the current raw milk production of 80 million litres per annum against national requirement of above 120 million litres of raw milk, it is highly recommended that support to the smallholder sector through programmes such as silage and pasture production support is critical,” Masuka said.
“It is recommended that mechanisation be continued while in the large-scale dairy sector, private sector financial support is expected to play a key role.”
Zimbabwe’s milk production jumped to 21.5m litres in the first quarter of this year, reflecting a 20% increase from 17.8m litres reported in the prior comparative period, largely due to an increase in the dairy herd, according to the second crop and livestock assessment report.
The report also revealed that the national dairy herd increased 20% to 47 825 in 2021 from 39 856 in 2020.
Farmers are targeting to produce 85m litres of milk this year, against the national requirement of 120m litres.
