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Dairy project takes huge strides

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PRIOR to the Land Reform Programme in 2000, the dairy industry in Zimbabwe was dominated by white commercial farmers, but after its implementation, the programme paved way for new players in the form of resettled indigenous farmers.
Over 400 000 black households benefitted from the Land Reform Programme and since then, there has been an increase in resettled farmers that have taken up the trade of producing milk for sale.
And one success story of ‘new’ dairy farmers is that of those resettled in Chikomba District in Mashonaland East province conducting milk production under the Nharira-Lancashire Dairy project.
The association was formed in 1986 under the ARDA District Development Programme aimed at improving the livelihoods of villagers through dairy farming.
It was commissioned in 1987 by the late Vice-President Dr Joshua Nkomo.
Nharira-Lancashire Dairy Association chairperson, Joshua Chiyangwa could not hide his joy as he explained how the Land Reform Programme had helped increase the association’s membership as The Patriot toured its plant.
“The association was formed to help alleviate poverty in the rural communities and assist widows and child headed families through dairy projects,” said Chiyangwa.
“Before 2000 our membership stood at 40 and over the years it has grown to nearly 150 as more small-scale farmers in surrounding areas have taken up dairy farming.
Farmers from areas such as Lancashire, Bvumbura, Wiltshire, and Nharira Resettlement are eligible to be members of the association.
“This association was put in place to help people in neighbouring villages whom we can train and monitor their operations,” said Chiyangwa.
“Training programmes have ensured that quality milk that can be sold anywhere is produced.”
Chiyangwa said increase in the association’s membership has resulted in the increase in milk delivered.
“We are now receiving more than 700 litres per day compared to the 200 litres we used to get and we are working towards engaging more farmers and increase supply,” he said.
“We buy milk on credit and pay farmers at the end of each month.”
Farmers sell their milk to the association which in turn processes it to produce cultured milk (hodzeko), sour milk, Amasi, yoghurt and whey.”
Chiyangwa said the association sold its products to locals and other areas such as Murambinda, Masvingo, Chivhu and Gweru.
“The biggest consumers of our products are the schools in our area and when schools close we actually reduce production levels,” he said.
“We are making plans to produce cheese to increase our market base.”
The association has a cattle loan scheme under which farmers without cows buy from the association on credit.
“We have a Cattle Bank Revolving Fund financed by profits accrued from selling our products and sell cows procured to farmers on credit,” said Chiyangwa.
“Farmers who would have bought the cows are required to pay US$50 per month until they have paid off the debt.
“The other scheme we have is that a farmer gets a cow and when it produces a calf, they pass the cow on to the next farmer.”
The use of small and old-model equipment, said Chiyangwa, was hindering the operations of the association.
“Since we started, our market has grown hence there is need for us to invest in advanced machinery so that we can meet demand and improve our products,” he said.
“We also want to build a bigger space to accommodate new machinery.”
Chiyangwa said the association was crafting a blueprint aimed at improving operations.
He said they intended to increase training programmes for farmers.
“Most of the farmers fail to bring in milk twice a day as required as they have no means of transportation,” said Chiyangwa
“However, we have embarked on a donkey-carrying programme where we are investing in donkeys so that we can collect the milk on our own from farmers living in distant areas.
“We help farmers with information on dairy farming and we want to increase these training programmes so that the producers are fully equipped.”
The developments at Nharira Dairy Association come at the back of efforts by government to resuscitate dairy farming in the country. The dairy herd had dwindled in the past decade as the agriculture sector was not spared from the economic challenges resulting from the illegal sanctions imposed against the country by the West.

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