Goat farmers have been urged to come together and form clusters as part of efforts to penetrate export markets.
The call was made during the recently held Goat Indaba, organised by the Goat Breeders Association of Zimbabwe under the theme “Preserving Our Indigenous Goats: Understanding the Matabele and Mashona Breeds Standards.”
Presenting on the topic “Unlocking Export Potential: Building Competent Goat Clusters for Global Markets,” ZimTrade Client Advisor Velile Dube said the cluster programme was introduced after it became clear that individual farmers often lack the capacity to meet export requirements.
“What it simply means is people coming together for a common cause. We all want to export goat meat, but we realised that the requirements for export are a bit beyond our individual capacities,” said Dube. “If I’m required to bring 500 goats, and there are 30 of us doing the same, together we can meet the demand. Remember, those goats are still breeding, as you sell some, others are being born. What we’ve been doing at ZimTrade is forming clusters across different sectors.”
Dube said plans are already underway to establish the headquarters for the national goat cluster.
“We’re considering where to locate the headquarters, possibly in Matabeleland South. Gwanda, for instance, is well known for goats. We already have plans in place, and since we’re in budget season, provisions have been made,” he said. “We’ll soon engage local leaders at the proposed sites where we intend to build a Goat Improvement Centre. The idea is to draw goats from that region since it already has a comparative advantage, making it ideal for a pilot site.”
He explained that members will contribute goats to the centre for breeding improvement and certification.
“Members will contribute goats to the centre where they will be improved and Halal-certified, because if we’re targeting the Middle East, Halal certification is a must,” said Dube. “According to Middle East guidelines, there’s an association in South Africa that we’ll engage to inspect paddocks and ensure certification. Once the project starts, we’ll prepare our goats specifically for that market.”
Dube added that the project will undergo a local trial phase before moving into exports.
“Next year, this is part of our plan. Of course, exports won’t begin immediately, probably the year after. We need a few trial runs to ensure we get the right meat breed and size since importers are very particular,” he said. “As ZimTrade, we’ll guide you through the process because we’re working with buyers. Let’s make our mistakes locally so that when we go international, we’re ready.”
He also emphasised that the cluster approach would strengthen collaboration among goat farmers.
“Let’s work together to make sure this pilot project succeeds,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dube highlighted that other cluster initiatives, such as beekeeping in Matabeleland North, are already showing positive results.
“In Matabeleland North, there’s a beekeeping cluster I’m working with — one site has 300 hives, and another about 100. The goal is to capacitate them to produce more honey for export. We recently secured an order of about 20 tonnes every three months,” he said. “There are also clusters in Mutare and Chikomba in Mashonaland. When they combine their efforts, meeting that 20-tonne order becomes possible. We’d like to see the same spirit among goat breeders, we’ve already identified markets, and now we need to establish a Goat Improvement Centre to supply them.”
One of the main sponsors of the Goat Indaba 2025, Profeeds Marketing Representative Gugu Gumede, said it was encouraging to see farmers taking an active interest in platforms that promote modern animal husbandry.
“Forums of this nature motivate farmers to improve their operations as the knowledge gap is bridged in an interactive atmosphere,” said Gumede. “This enables farmers to recognise farming as a business and develop these opportunities into viable, sustainable ventures.”
Gumede also revealed that farmers in the Southern Region will now be serviced by Profeeds’ newly installed, state-of-the-art factory to enhance efficiency and product quality.
“Several goat breeders who exhibited their animals shared the excellent results they’ve achieved by feeding their herds Profeeds Goat Nut,” she added.
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