Goat meat supply improves

GOAT production is gaining momentum in the agricultural sector with a total of 40 000 kilogrammes of meat sold to butcheries by December last year by registered producers.

The farmers are delivering meat through direct marketing to licensed independent butcheries in Harare and Bulawayo, officials said.
The Zimbabwe Agricultural Growth Programme Value Chain Alliance for Livestock Upgrading and Empowerment (Value) project has managed to enhance profit margins of goat farmers by facilitating direct marketing to licensed independent butcheries.

Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement

Figures availed to Business Chronicle show that 3 025 goats with a total of 40 000 kgs were sold as of December 2022.
ZAGP Value project is part of the EU-funded Zimbabwe Agricultural Growth Programme (ZAGP) that was launched in Zimbabwe in June 2019.

The €40 million initiative seeks to boost the beef, dairy, pig, goat and poultry production, and works closely with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to co-ordinate market-oriented education and extension services across the five value chains.

ZAGP Value Project communications and policy officer, Mr Kevin Maenzanise said the project is working with over 10 000 goat farmers in twelve districts across six provinces to improve production, productivity, organisational efficiencies and market competitiveness.

He said, while addressing market constraints there are deliberate efforts to increase efficiencies at the production level through promotion of good animal husbandry practices such as dipping, vaccination and supplementary feeding.
“The project has managed to enhance profit margins of project participants through direct meat marketing of goats to licensed independent butcheries in Harare and Bulawayo,” said Mr Maenzanise.

“As of December 2022, a total of 3 025 goats with a total of 40 000kgs had been sold to butcheries by farmers. The initiative has seen farmers realising more from the sales as compared to going through market intermediaries who typically enjoy the bigger share of revenue created in the value chain.”
He said there is a huge demand for goat meat, which farmers are currently unable to satisfy.

For instance, Mr Maenzanise said butchery owners indicated that weekly demand of super meat is 4 180kgs, choice 5 525kg and standard is 9 797kgs of goat meat.
“Prior to piloting the direct meat marketing route, the project profiled a total of 1 500 butcheries in Harare and Bulawayo to ascertain their meat requirements and agree supply agreements and contracts with farmers,” he said.

“From the profiled 1500, further engagements were done with 528 butcheries who highlighted a weekly demand of super meat is 4 180kgs, choice 5 525kg and standard is 9 797kgs of goat meat totalling 19502kgs required per week.”
Mr Maenzanise said more support is required to establish sustainable and profitable marketing infrastructure in the goat value chain as was done in other value chains such as beef and pork to enable farmers to ensure constant supply to the market.

Last year, a US$87 million Presidential Goat Scheme was launched the country seeks to build a strong goat production and marketing system.
The goat scheme, which will see the national herd jumping from 4,3 million to six million by 2025, will also unlock vast export opportunities for farmers.

Money – Image taken from Pixabay

The Presidential Goat Scheme is targeting more than 600 000 farmers nationwide and seeks to ensure food security and empower communities across the country.

The scheme is among a raft of measures launched by the Second Republic in crop and livestock sectors to rapidly build the output and capacity of small-scale sectors and ensure the overwhelming majority of rural households are able to enter the commercial sector.
Under the full scheme, 35 000 bucks and 597 000 does will be distributed in all villages.
The bucks are being assigned as three for each chief, two for each headman and one to each village head, and then the females are distributed to villagers.-chronicle