This archive report was first published on 5 June 2020.
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the economy, livestock farmers are facing a daunting challenge: how to sustain their activities in the face of dwindling markets and rising costs.
According to Dr. Joseph Mugachia, a veterinarian who has been advising farmers on how to cope with the crisis, the initial impacts of the pandemic were felt in the loss of markets for raw or semi-processed products such as milk, meat, eggs, and fish.
As cross-border transport became increasingly difficult, farmers who relied on imported feed raw materials found themselves struggling to access the necessary supplies. This, in turn, led to a significant increase in the cost of factory-made feeds, making it even more challenging for farmers to sustain production.
Dr. Mugachia recently visited a dairy farm that had been struggling to stay afloat. The farm's owner, Peter, had been producing 1,500 litres of milk daily, but with the decline in demand, he was left with a surplus of milk and a workforce that needed to be paid.
Despite his best efforts to reduce costs, Peter was forced to cut production to 700 litres per day by reducing the feeding of his cattle. However, this temporary measure is not sustainable in the long term, as the other production costs remain constant.
Dr. Mugachia warns that the situation is dire, and the country may face shortages of livestock products during and after the pandemic. He advises the government and industry actors to catalogue large and medium-scale livestock producers and ensure their produce is available for distribution to specific markets, allowing them to sustain production and conserve good livestock genetics.
