Dairy Industry Targets Fourfold Milk Production...

Dairy Industry Targets Fourfold Milk Production by 2030 to Meet Rising Demand

Oscar J Jeke

Zim Now Writer

The Zimbabwean dairy industry is scaling up efforts to quadruple milk production by 2030, aiming to reach 480 million litres annually. This ambitious target marks a sharp increase from the 99.82 million litres recorded in 2023 as the sector grapples with rising demand driven by population growth and evolving dietary trends.

Between 2017 and 2023, raw milk production in Zimbabwe rose by 51%, climbing from 66 million to nearly 100 million litres. Additionally, the national dairy herd expanded by 13.4%, surpassing the 2025 target of 60,000 cows. Despite these gains, per capita milk consumption remains below 10 litres annually, far below the World Health Organization's recommended 45 litres for low- to middle-income countries.

Domestic production struggles to keep pace with growing demand, resulting in high milk prices and reliance on imports. Major players like Dairibord Holdings Ltd, which accounted for 36.7% of the national raw milk intake in 2024, are working to bridge this gap.

In a trading update for Q3 2024, Dairibord company secretary Maurice Karimupfumbi highlighted the significant rise in raw milk intake and output:

Raw milk intake reached 11.8 million litres, a 44% increase compared to 8.2 million litres in the same period last year.

Sales volumes grew by 29%, with liquid milk recording a year-on-year increase of 32%, largely driven by increased raw milk availability.

“Domestic demand remains high and largely unmet, prompting the group to channel higher volumes to the local market during the quarter,” Karimupfumbi said.

To address these challenges, the government has introduced several initiatives to boost production, including; expanding the population of lactating cows from 39,811 to 100,000 by 2030, enhancing milk yields per cow from 3,000 litres to 5,000 litres annually, programs like the Presidential Silage Inputs Scheme and EU-funded initiatives aim to reduce feed costs through subsidized inputs and silage production and strengthening policies and collaboration among stakeholders to boost efficiency and output while tripling per capita milk consumption to 30 litres annually by 2030.

Industry experts caution that the current 44% growth in raw milk intake reported by Dairibord far outpaces national growth rates, signalling an urgent need for accelerated measures. They emphasize the importance of sustained investment, innovative strategies, and enhanced collaboration to meet growing domestic demand and improve affordability.

With these combined efforts, the dairy industry hopes to achieve self-sufficiency, reduce dependency on imports, and support Zimbabwe's nutritional needs in the face of rapid population growth.