Bulilima dairy produces 3000 litres of the cleanest milk in the country every day Director livestock production and development Mr Alban Mandurwa (in cap) stresses a point to Sedgemoor Dairy Farm co-directors Mr Richard Rauch (left) and Pamela Rauch during a field day held at the farm in Bulilima District in Matabeleland South yesterday while the chief director in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries Water Climate and Rural Development Prof Obert Jiri looks on (Picture by Nkosizile Ndlovu)

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter 

A DAIRY farm in Bulilima District, Matabeleland South Province, produces the cleanest milk in the country, three percent of the country’s national milk supply and for 73 years, the company has continued to scale great heights.

Sedgemoor Dairy Farm is said to be strategic in the revival of a closed Dairibord Zimbabwe Limited milk processing plant in Bulawayo and its management has committed to contributing to import substitution.

The country produces 89 million litres of milk annually against the national demand of 120m litres.

At the moment, Sedgemoor dairy is milking 190 cows and producing 3000 litres of milk every day.

Sedgemoor is expecting to increase milk production next month to 4000 litres per day as it will be milking 250 cows, said the company’s co-director Mrs Pamela Rauch.

Sedgemoor Dairy Farm Director Mrs Pamela Rauch shows the Chief Director in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries Water and Rural Development Prof Obert Jiri (right) the milking area during a field day held at the farm in Bulilima District in Matabeleland South yesterday. —Picture by Nkosizile Ndlovu

She was speaking yesterday at the family’s dairy farm in Bulilima District during a field day attended by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water Climate and Rural Development  Ministry officials.

Mrs Rauch said she was the third generation of family members who have run the business.

She and her husband Richard, led ministry officials, small scale farmers with interest in dairy farming through their daily activities.

The visit is part of efforts by Government to increase milk production, leading to the resuscitation of a closed milk plant in Bulawayo owned by Dairibord Zimbabwe Limited.

Mrs Rauch said they were not just producing milk, but providing processed goods such as cheese and butter.

They also supply Dairibord Zimbabwe Limited with milk every two days.

“We currently are milking 190 cows.

This is the lowest time of the year for us, but by the end of June we will be back to milking 250 cows.

We are currently producing 3000 litres of milk a day and we will increase to 4000 litres by the end of June.

With a viable cost of production, we can reach 5000 litres per month,” said Mrs Rauch.

“In 2021, our production dropped severely due to the heavy rains, that were received in January and February and the constant increase in input costs.

Our forecast for 2022 does not look like it will go on an upward trend due to the increase in fuel, stockfeed and fertilisers.”

 A Dairibord Zimbabwe Limited official told Ministry officials that Sedgemoor was one of the champion dairy farms in the country. 

Dairibord Zimbabwe Limited

“As most of you will know, Dairibord is the mother of all milk processers in the country. We currently have plus or minus 78 producers supplying milk to Dairibord.

We are in Bulawayo, we are in Gweru, we are in Harare we are in Chitungwiza, we are in Mutare and we are in Chipinge.

We are very proud to be associated with farmers like Sedgemoor.

If I may tell you, the greatest secret that is here is that the farm here gives us the cleanest milk in the country,” said the official.

“I don’t hesitate to take a glass of milk when I come here because it is very, very clean milk. With this kind of milk, it helps us to produce quality products that can last long in the market.”

He said Dairibord was also buying heifers from Sedgemoor Dairy Farm to support other farmers in various parts of the country. 

Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water Climate and Rural Development chief director Professor Obert Jiri described Sedgemoor as a significant company in the dairy business in the country.

Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water Climate and Rural Development chief director Professor Obert Jiri

“We are at a giant’s farm significantly contributing to national milk production. Despite the challenges that we heard, that we saw that they have, they are still going on.

So, this is no mean feat. We are the consumers of milk and we must make sure that we contribute to its production,” said Prof Jiri.

“We need to know the number of dairy farmers in Matabeleland and how we can get the million litres so that the Dairibord plant can run.

To me, Matabeleland region, Masvingo and parts of Midlands, those are the livestock hubs and if livelihoods are to be developed in these regions it is development of the livestock industry which is critical.” 

He said there is no reason for Dairibord to have a closed plant because of failure to produce milk.

Prof Jiri said there is an urgent need to grow the dairy industry and reduce imports.

“The dairy industry has 45 000 cattle and for a country with 13 to 15 million people I think that is very pathetic.

We are milking 25 000 cows and producing 80 to 90 million litres.

I think we are stretching these animals.

We need to grow the dairy herd.

That is the number one strategy and once we grow it, we know we might afford to lose some marks on the productivity on the individual animal and that will reduce cost as well because you may not need to feed it to get it to the maximum,” he said. 

 

“We need to grow the dairy herd from 45 000 to where it is appropriate.

I’m happy that Sedgemoor have calf heifers that they provide to the market and the country.

If we had more of these where we have heifers which we can distribute and sell that will be one way of growing a national herd.”

Prof Jiri said there is a need to account for each and every farmer and understand their challenges. 

He said companies involved in milk processing like Dairibord Zimbabwe also need to support the growth of the sector before Government chips in.

“Dairibord and all the users of milk, milk processors, they must come on board and ensure they contribute to the production of raw materials that they use.

We are going to follow it up and make sure that all those milk processors integrate.

“I know they bring a lot, but we need a little more so that as Government we also see what is being put and also come in, in our own way.

That is why the Government has particular interest in the dairy sector,” he said. —@nqotshili

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