LUSAKA, September 19, 2011—Growth in Zambia’s beef and dairy industries could make a significant contribution to jobs and to prosperity for Zambians, particularly in rural areas, according to a forthcoming report from the World Bank and UK AID.
The report, What Would it Take for Zambia’s Beef and Dairy Industries to Achieve Their Potential, to be published later this year, reviews the country’s extensive grazing lands and the strong domestic and regional demand for beef and dairy products, and outlines the industries’ potential for growth.
“These industries have the potential to grow at 4-5 percentage points above the rate of GDP growth, to a value of US$600 million per year within 10 years, and up to as much as US$1.6 billion per year in the longer term,” the report says.
Such growth could have a major impact on the lives of many Zambians, particularly those living in non-urban areas, by expanding jobs.
But Zambia’s beef and dairy industries are currently constrained by gaps in productivity and price competitiveness, the report says.
To boost industry productivity, several actions are required, including improving infrastructure, increasing the effectiveness of disease prevention systems, making available affordable key inputs, creating an enabling regulatory environment and improving the skills and market access of traditional farmers.
The soon-to-be-published report and related summary were produced as part of the Jobs and Prosperity: Building Zambia’s Competitiveness Program, a joint venture between the Government of Zambia, the Zambian private sector, civil society and cooperating partners.
