Milk production rises | The Herald
Milk production for the month of July rose 6,2 percent to 5 810 176 litres compared to 5 471 113 litres in the period a year ago.
This is the highest milk production achieved so far as the sector is beginning to recover from the first quarter of 2017 in which production was affected by bad weather following the incessant rains that hit most parts of the country. Month on month, milk production in July was 7,6 percent above June’s 5 397 045 litres of milk.
Milk production figures from the dairy services unit in the department of livestock and veterinary services show that the country produced 37 million litres of milk in the seven months to July, which is 0,42 percent below same period last year.
There has been a steady growth in milk production in the country in the past few years. According to the Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers, total milk production rose 4 percent to 58 million litres in 2015 from 2014’s 56 million litres. Last year, milk production further improved to 65 million litres.
Milk production in Zimbabwe experienced a dip from the early 1990s peak of 260 million litres annually to an estimated 50 million litres to 65 million litres as the industry battle challenges that have been bedevilling the economy in the past decade.
Last year, the country achieved 65 million litres of milk. Dairy producers have bemoaned high cost of production, lack of long term funding and recently the effects of the El-Nino induced drought that saw some industry players such as Dairibord temporarily suspend their heifer import programme.
But Government, together with stakeholders launched a Dairy Revitalisation Programme to address such challenges and improve the sector’s competitiveness. It is anticipated annual production will improve to 77 million litres by 2018 while national herd increases to 33 000 cows from 29 000 cows. — BH24