ZIMTRADE is in the process of capacitating goat meat producers in Matabeleland South to become viable export entities.
BY BUSINESS REPORTER
According to Trade Map, the global demand for goat meat has increased by 125% in the past 10 years to $342 million this year from $151 million in 2006.
In a statement, ZimTrade said there was need to capacitate local goat meat producers in Zimbabwe to increase exports of this product. “The continued soaring global demand for goat meat presents an opportunity to Zimbabwe’s goat producers,” ZimTrade said.
The trade body said it was set to host an export awareness seminar for Matabeleland South goat meat producers next month and aspects such as packaging and branding, food healthy and safety standards, as well market analysis tools would be presented.
ZimTrade said the seminar, which is part of its capacity building interventions, was aimed at nurturing small-to-medium scale enterprises into viable export entities.
“Training on best practice animal husbandry rearing can contribute towards increased production. There is also the need for assistance in the establishment of proper infrastructure handling and slaughtering and advanced technological equipment in the relevant farming communities,” it said.
“The establishment of goat-breeding consortiums could afford producers access to improved services such as integrated slaughtering as well as marketing systems to facilitate exports.”
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
According to an Icrisat Research paper, National and Regional Livestock Markets: Opportunities for Growth in Sadc, lessons from Namibia revealed that support such as farmers’ mentorship programmes and infrastructure development to small-scale producers has greatly improved the country’s goat meat production.
This led to livestock contributing approximately 80% of the agricultural gross domestic product.
In his 2016 National Budget statement, Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa said the weather forecasts of below normal rains would have adverse implications on livestock development and rebuilding programmes.
Chinamasa said this would inhibit livestock preservation interventions related to building stocks of stock feeds, harvesting of grass, drilling of boreholes and rehabilitation of small dams in support of livestock.
