Stakeholders in the dairy sector have raised concerns over the proliferation of cheap products on the market.
Players also raise concern over escalating cost of production, especially stockfeed.
This came out during an all-stakeholder engagement meeting organised by the agricultural sector regulator, Agricultural Marketing Authority (Ama) in Harare recently.
Addmore Waniwa, chief dairy officer at the Department of Veterinary Technical Services, said they are concerned about food safety owing to goods that are being smuggled into the country illegally.
“We are aware that there are some dairy products coming into Zimbabwe illegally. These practices are killing local industry because these products are cheap,” Waniwa said adding that “there are several risks that are associated with such products because they have no certification in terms of quality and safety.”
A snap survey carried out by Zimbabwe Independent revealed that most of the dairy products coming into Zimbabwe illegally from Zambia, South Africa and Kenya include cheese, yoghurts, milkshakes, among others.
Waniwa said illegal importation of products is tantamount to killing the goose that lays eggs as this will lead to a low demand for local products. This, he said, has a negative effect on the value chain which includes company closures and retrenchments.
Ama agribusiness director Jonathan Mukuruba said the authority will engage relevant stakeholders so as to come up with an appropriate response.
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According to statistics from the Dairy Services Unit, as of December 2023, Zimbabwe produced 99,8 million litres of milk against an annual requirement of 130 million litres.
Some of the notable players in the dairy sector are Dairibord Zimbabwe, Nestle, Keflos, Alpha and Omega, Pro Dairy, among others. — Staff Writer.
