ZAGP launches Livestock Upgrade Project in 20 districts

THE Zimbabwe Agricultural Growth Programme (ZAGP) has launched the goat and pork value chain upgrade project in 20 districts across the country under the Value Chain Alliance for Livestock Upgrading and Empowerment (VALUE). ZAGP VALUE team Project Coordinator, Mr Newton Chari said the project would positively impact on the economic opportunities for 800 000 and 56 000 small-scale goat and pig farmers respectively who are currently stuck at different sub-optimal stages of commercialisation and growth. “A total of 12 goat and eight pork value chains correspondingly will be established in 20 districts under the six provinces of Manicaland, Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East and Mashonaland West. “The initiative aims to increase the capacity of smallholder farmers, particularly women and young people, to increase their goat and pig breeds, output and productivity, as well as to make it easy for them to access healthy markets and operate more efficiently,” said Mr Chari. VALUE aims to expand and modernise the value chains to offer livestock and meat products that are safe and of high quality along the six targeted transport and production corridors that feed into Zimbabwe’s two largest meat markets of Harare and Bulawayo. The objective of this project is to boost market competitiveness, organisational and production efficiencies, and the commercial supply of pork and goat livestock and meat products that are safe and of high quality from environmentally friendly value chains for goat and pork. tgodddessvip madi ruve nude “The project interventions for the goat value chain include the identification and training of 1 000 anchor farmers to assist small-scale farmers in 12 districts, the establishment of 2 goat holding centres at the Grasslands and Matopos Research Stations to allow abattoirs and supermarkets to buy goats in bulk, and the identification of 9 000 additional small and medium-sized goat farmers,” added Mr Chari. Mr Chari explained that the project interventions for the pork value chain included selection of 100 small-to-medium producers as primary members with shareholding status and investments in pork production business syndicates (PPBS), identification and training of 400 pig producers by the anchor farmers and support to 600 young farmers (aged between 15 and 35 years) and women to upscale domestic production of weaners for finishing (60 percent women and 40 percent youths). The project’s principal organisation, ActionAid Zimbabwe is partnering Cooperazione per lo Sviluppo (COSV), Mercy Corps and the corporate sector to roll out the initiative. Players in the livestock industry include Shamiso and Bradford Farms for the pork value chain and Michview and Zvikomborero Farms for the goat value chain. Project implementation will be overseen in each district by the Agriculture and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) and the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) under the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development. Additional players in the goat and pig value chains, like research organisations, private companies, abattoirs, independent butcheries, and large-scale supermarket chains will be crucial in supplying services in both value chains. – The Herald