Story by Yolanda Moyo
ZIMBABWE has joined other African nations in promoting the growth of the dairy industry through the establishment of a continental platform aimed at increasing investment and enhancing value addition.
The initiative follows a 2026 endorsement by the African Union Heads of State Summit, highlighting the growing urgency to address long-standing structural inefficiencies that have limited the sector’s contribution to economic transformation.
Twelve African nations backing the initiative at the second International Dairy Federation Regional Conference for Africa in Victoria Falls note that the alliance will tackle weak coordination among value chain actors, low levels of industrialisation, limited Intra-Africa trade in dairy products, and persistent nutrition deficits across the continent.
“We, the representatives of the dairy value chain stakeholders across the Africa Continent, meeting in Victoria Falls on Tuesday, recognise the urgent need to address; poor and weak coordination between dairy value chain actors, limited dairy-industrialisation, low levels of inter and intra Africa dairy trade, under consumption, huge nutrition gaps and policy and regulatory frameworks that do not support innovative financing aligned with the dairy sector’s needs.
“We are committed to fostering a stronger, more collaborative and coordinated approach to harness inclusive strategic partnerships to galvanise diverse value chain actors, across the continent, to drive the desired outcomes that will enable stakeholders, with interconnected challenges and ambitions, but often differing interests, to collectively innovate and remain resilient and to provide a comprehensive framework towards a trans-formative agenda of organising dairy and related sector actors into a multi-sectoral and stakeholder Alliance.
“This alliance is established as a formal partnership to align our strategies, harness resources, and enhance our collective impact. It will improve the competitiveness of a robust, vibrant and strategically positioned dairy sector that contributes to food security, economic growth, improved livelihoods, and that delivers the human nutrition goals that have been perennially elusive,” Dairy Value Chain Expert, African Union-InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), Mr Ariong Abbey said.
Chairperson of the International Dairy Federation Africa Chapter, Ms Florence Umurungi, says the alliance signals a turning point for the sector.
“This marks the beginning of a transformative process to realise the full potential of the dairy sector. The growth of the sector means better nutrition, employment, quality products, improved incomes, and agro-industrialisation. With this, I call upon all stakeholders in Africa to join this initiative. To the IDF, you now have a continental partner. To development partners and donors, the return on each dollar invested is assured,” she said.
The Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Honourable Davis Marapira, is convinced the alliance aligns with national priorities on value addition and rural transformation.
“This is the same song which has been sung here. Dairy and value addition are critical for Africa and Zimbabwe. Intake and production remain low, but with this alliance, there will be improvement. The sector provides nutrition, employment, income and contributes to GDP. In Zimbabwe, we are focusing on rural development, empowering farmers to achieve middle-income status ahead of Vision 2030,” he said.
As Africa positions dairy as an element for inclusive growth, the success of the alliance will hinge on sustained collaboration, investment flows and the ability to translate policy commitments into measurable outcomes on the ground.
