Story by Mercy Bofu-Matinha
THE dairy sector is recording steady growth, driven by the increasing participation of smallholder farmers who are boosting national milk production while creating opportunities for rural industrialisation.
One of the projects making significant strides is Chick Mbungo Dairy in Masvingo, owned by the Zion Christian Church.
Established in 2021 with a herd of just 13 cattle, the project has expanded to 152 dairy cows and is now producing close to 1 000 litres of milk daily.
The farm is also positioning itself for value addition after investing in equipment to process products such as cheese, yoghurt and other dairy products.
“We started dairy farming at Chick Mbungo Estates in 2021 with a herd of 13 cattle, and today, our herd has grown to 152. We are currently producing 950 litres of milk per day, and we have since purchased a value addition machine for dairy products, which include cheese, yoghurt and other dairy products. We have not yet started using our machine because we are not yet meeting the capacity, hence we are engaging other fellow farmers in this area to work together,” Director Farming Operations at Chick Mbungo Estates, Mr Hubert Mutendi said.
To increase milk supplies and ensure the processing plant operates at full capacity, the project has introduced an out-grower scheme involving surrounding farmers.
“We are working with a number of farmers in this area, and we embarked on a programme to do our own pastures. We want to ensure we start using our plant soon, hence we are engaging more farmers. We expect the initiative to strengthen collaboration among dairy farmers in this community while improving production and market access within the province,” Manager of the Dairy Section at Chick Mbungo Estates, Mr Fanuel Gono said.
During a recent visit to the farm, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Professor Obert Jiri, said the government remains committed to supporting dairy production as the country seeks to narrow the gap between supply and demand.
“The dairy value chain is certainly one of the key value chains, and we require 150 million litres of milk per year, and if we have these producers like at Chick Mbungo dotted around the country, it is possible to meet and achieve that target. So far, we have been falling short of our target, raising about 120 million liters in 2024/2025.
“We need the value chain to be fully developed on farms, and that is how we develop rural industries. For the past few years, as a government, we have been focusing on local production of milk, and this is why there is a five percent dairy levy for all those people who import dairy products,” he said.
Government has introduced several measures to strengthen the dairy industry, including a five percent levy on dairy imports and programmes aimed at increasing the national dairy herd.
