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*Milk Processors hail RAFFS project*

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The Dairy Processors Association of Zimbabwe (DPAZ) has expressed hope that the Resilient African Feed and Fodder Systems (RAFFS) project will help lower milk production costs, enabling them to be competitive in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

RAFFS project is an ambitious three-year intervention to address the adverse effects of recent global crises on Africa’s feed and fodder systems. The project runs from December 2022 to December 2025.

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The RAFF project was launched in Zimbabwe last year, spearheaded by the African Union-InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The project targets six core countries including Nigeria, Uganda, Cameroon, Kenya, Somalia and Zimbabwe.

Speaking to NewsDay, DPAZ secretary-general Tendayi Marecha Zimbabwe currently produces the most expensive milk in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. He said:

> As Zimbabwe, we are not as competitive in the region in terms of raw milk supply, raw milk prices, and farm gate prices. In SADC, we produce the most expensive milk.

> Our milk is around US$0,58 and US$0,60 per litre. When you go to Zambia, (it is) US$0,37. When you go to Malawi, maybe US$0,29.

> When you go to South Africa, US$0,42. So, in the face of the upcoming African Continental Free Trade Area, we really are going to be sweating because we are going to face an influx of cheaper products.

> So, this programme of feed and fodder mainstreaming is going to help us reduce our cost of production and then we become more competitive within the region.

Feed constitutes 70% to 80% of the total cost of milk and animal production. Said Marecha:

> The major reason is that feed is mainly the feed from the bag. Not many resources are used for fodder and grazing. So, feeding from the bag for ruminants will not be profitable at all. So this is the major cost driver.

> This programme that AU-IBAR is promoting is going to conscientise our policymakers on where we need to focus.

> I think it could not have come at a time like this when we are only maybe four years before milk is coming in zero-rated through the borders.

> So, we still have four years to correct our errors and we hope by the end of four years, we will have done 
it.

> So we appreciate this concept of coming up with a value chain for feed and fodder and maybe mainstreaming it so that we really talk much about it so that at least policymakers are going to support the cause.

DPAZ members are Nestlé, Dairibord, Dendairy, Prodairy, Kefalos, CBS, Yomilk, and Sagemore.

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