Zimbabwe News Update
bulawayo24
2 min read
News / national zimbabwe cuts dairy imports by 20% zimbabwe has significantly reduced its reliance on imported dairy products, slashing its import bill by more than 20% thanks to a steady rise in domestic milk production, officials have confirmed.Latest figures reveal that national milk output climbed from 80 million litres in 2023 to 90 million litres in 2025, marking a 12.5% growth in just one year.
The increase has translated into major savings for the country, with the dairy import bill dropping from over us$15 million in the first nine months of 2024 to below us$10 million for the same period this year.The growth has been credited to the government’s ongoing agricultural sector revival programme, which has focused on boosting farm productivity and strengthening support for smallholder dairy farmers.Zimbabwe dairy industry trust chairperson themba mutsvairo said the sector was now on track to meet the national milk production target of 130 million litres per year, a milestone that would edge the country closer to self-sufficiency.”increased output helps to reduce the national milk deficit, decreasing our reliance on imports,” said mutsvairo.
“this not only puts zimbabwe on course towards self-sufficiency but positions us to become a net exporter, contributing to the goal of achieving an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.”he added that improved milk availability across the country, particularly in rural areas, was enhancing household nutrition and food security.”increased local milk production directly improves nutrition and health outcomes, boosting per capita consumption and enhancing human development across our communities,” mutsvairo said.The dairy sector, which suffered severe decline in the early 2000s due to economic challenges and farm disruptions, has been on a recovery path over the past few years.
Strategic interventions – including investment in cold-chain infrastructure, artificial insemination programs, and access to affordable feed – have revitalised local production.Mutsvairo said with continued collaboration between the government and private sector, zimbabwe’s dairy industry is poised for sustained growth and export competitiveness.”our farmers have shown resilience. With consistent policy support and improved technology adoption, we expect production to continue rising in the coming years,” he said.The positive trend marks a turning point for zimbabwe’s dairy industry, signalling renewed confidence in the country’s broader agricultural transformation agenda. Source – newsday loading comments….
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