A EUR47 million livestock project has been launched in Zimbabwe in a bid to support and strengthen the once-vibrant sector.

The EU-funded Zimbabwe Agricultural Growth Programme (ZAGP) aims to reduce the perceived risk of farming livestock in the country (such as escalating stock-feed prices and outbreaks of animal disease), and improve market competition. The four-year initiative will work to develop and implement strategies that address challenges prevalent in the beef, dairy, poultry, pig and goat industries, as reported by Farmers Weekly.

According to the ZAGP website: ‘The focus will be on building the capacity of farmers, service institutions, and [the] private sector through increased investment, institutional reforms and policy alignment.’ The programme will also support private-sector integrators, research organisations, farmers’ unions and financial-service providers.

‘There’s no need for a country like Zimbabwe to be dependent on outside food assistance,’ says Timo Olkkonen, EU ambassador to Zimbabwe. ‘Farming is tough and needs commitment, but it’s the most important profession in the world because we all depend on it for sustenance.’

2 July 2019
Image: Gallo/Getty Images