Zambia government appeals for dairy data synchronization

ZAMBIA – Zambia’s Minister of Fisheries and Livestock, Engineer Peter C. Kapala, has urged stakeholders in the dairy industry to synchronize the fragmented milk production data currently prevailing in the sector.

He noted that the fragmented milk production data is the main bottleneck in the development of the dairy sector, making it difficult to design effective policies.

Delivering his remarks through the Ministry’s Director for Livestock Development, Mr. Bornwell Mupeyo, at the Farmers Meet 2026 held at the Best Western Plus Hotel in Lusaka, the Minister emphasized that accurate and harmonized data is essential for effective policy formulation, investment planning, and sustainable growth of the dairy industry.

While Zambia produces an estimated 290 million litres of milk annually, according to the Zambia Dairy Board, much of the data remains scattered across cooperatives, processors, and farmer associations, making it difficult to track national progress and identify gaps.

Mr. Mupeyo added that the Ministry is committed to working with farmer cooperatives, processors, and private investors to establish a centralized milk production database, which will serve as a reliable reference point for both domestic and international stakeholders.

Concurrently, Varun Beverages Zambia announced a US$9million investment to scale up its milk procurement from local farmers, reinforcing its commitment to strengthening the country’s dairy value chain.

The investment will be directed toward expanding milk collection centres, upgrading processing facilities, and enhancing logistics to ensure consistent supply from smallholder farmers.

Varun Beverages emphasized that the initiative will not only boost national milk output but also provide farmers with stable market access and fair pricing.

The decision comes after Parmalat Zambia, which is owned by Lactalis, closed its manufacturing plant on the 30^th March 2025. Parmalat Zambia will now import its milk from South Africa, and Lactalis-owned brands will be distributed by L&A Logistics.

The decision was informed partly by inconsistent milk production levels in Zambia. In 2024, due to severe droughts, milk production fell by 45%.

The Dairy Association of Zambia has said that one reason for Parmalat Zambia’s exit was that most raw milk suppliers had shifted to other processors offering more competitive prices.

The company will use locally sourced milk to make products under its Cream Bell brand, which includes ice creams, milkshakes, flavoured milks and yogurt drinks.

Farmers Meet’ is an annual event held by Varun Beverages to recognise and award the best-performing farmers in different categories.

At this year’s 2026 event, Palabana Dairy Cooperative, Malama Dairy Cooperative, Moomba Commercial Farms, and Chattenel Farms were among the farmers awarded.

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