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Beef and
More than 7, 000 smallholder beef
and dairy farmers are benefiting from
an US$11 million five-year USAID-
funded programme which is targeting Dairy Boost in
to boost milk yields and improve
livelihoods.
The Feed the Future Zimbabwe Zimbabwe
Livestock Development Programme
is being implemented in six districts
Staff Writer
in Manicaland, Midlands and
Matabeleland South.
This development programme is
providing technical assistance to farmers
to better their animal husbandry
practices and livelihoods.
“We are reaching out to 1, 800 beef and
1, 200 dairy farmers to help improve
outputs and livelihoods,” Said Emelda
Takaona, Communications Specialist
for Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock
Development Programme.
“We want to improve their incomes,
food and nutritional security.

This is a key component of the uptake of beef and dairy better markets and support, we
our targets to fight hunger farming by women and the can produce more milk. We
and poverty among rural youth through this beef-dairy- are now producing more than
communities.” model because it helps improve 100 litres of milk which we
Farmers in Umzingwane, income, food and nutritional are supplying to Dairibord. We
Chirumanzu, Gokwe South security,” She said. want to do more and supply
are benefiting from technical The beef-dairy-village milk milk to the nation.”
expertise, training and extension aggregation model entails the The US$11 million five-year
services supported by the use of low cost technology, programme started in 2015 and
programme. sustainable animal husbandry ends in 2020.
Beef and dairy farmers have practices and linkages to “This programme has given
received training on new animal markets. us hope to contribute to the
husbandry practices, stock feed Under the model, farmers country’s agricultural goals,”
production and storage, milk produce their own stock feed, Said John Matinika, Chairman
production and preservation adopt simple milk storage of the Batapako Milk Producers
techniques. facilities and are connected Group in Chirumanzu. “We are
Takaona said the major thrust to financiers, suppliers and now a shining model here in our
of the programme was to markets. province and we hope to share
increase milk collection volumes “I’m very happy about the our experiences with others to
at aggregation centres to at least support we are getting from grow our economy.”
12 to 15 litres per cow per day, the programme,” Said Sarah
improve quality of milk and Ndodha, a dairy farmer from Source: The Herald
encourage the participation of Rusununguko Village in
the youth and women. Chirumanzu. “Dairy farming
“lt’s important to enhance means money. With good skills,
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