Minister Made
Herald Reporter—
Zimbabwe is set to record an eight percent increase in milk production this year, a development expected to bring good tidings to the dairy industry. Speaking during the official launch of Alpha Omega Dairy’s new ice cream last Friday, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Dr Joseph Made, said Government was importing heifers with a view to increasing milk production.
Alpha Omega Dairy is owned by the First Family and is situated in Mazowe.
“As Government, we support the importation of heifers to increase milk production, which will see an increase of milk in 2015 and 2016 as compared to previous years,” he said.
“The State is working tirelessly to assist in the increase of milk production in the country.”
AGRICULTURE
Dr Made said currently Zimbabwe was producing 55 million litres of milk per year, far below the required 120 million litres, while the head of heifers stood at 33 000.
He also called on farmers in the dairy sector to work hard to increase the yield of milk.
Speaking during the same event, Alpha Omega Group general manager Mr Stanley Nhari, said the company continued to grow despite challenges brought by the economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West.
“The company has been receiving local and international negative publicity and closed lines of credit, but it has managed to turn threats and challenges into opportunities,” he said.
Mashonaland Central provincial minister Cde Martin Dinha, said the First Family, as beneficiaries of the land reform programme, was leading by example as shown by increased production at Alpha and Omega Dairy.
The dairy is one of the three big producers in Zimbabwe and has introduced 11 brands since it was launched a few years ago.
The company has state-of-the-art machinery.
Alpha Omega Dairy was presented with the ISO 22000 of 2005 certification by the Standards Association of Zimbabwe at the same occasion.
The certificate was in recognition of the company’s investment in research and innovation to deliver high quality and nutritious products that meet people’s expectations.