Zimbabwe Agricultural Growth programme - Value Chain Alliance for Livestock Upgrading and Empowerment (VALUE)

Specific objective 1) Improve production and organizational efficiencies and market competitiveness in the commercial supply of safe, quality-assured pork and goat livestock and meat products from environmentally sustainable pork and goat VCs Specific Objective 2): To enhance the domestic agribusiness environment through stakeholder organizational development and capacity building for strategic planning and evidence-based policy dialogue with government to get the national policy and regulatory frameworks right for growth and development of the livestock and meat industry. Expected Result 1: Key factors affecting the performance of PVC and GVC are monitored, analysed and better understood contributing to the progressive updating of the value-chain upgrading strategy through regular tracking and measurements of performance improvement against established benchmarks. Expected Result 2: PVC and GVC performance improved through implementation of upgrading Strategies Result 3: Improved access to financial services and business development support for the VC integrators, small and medium scale farmers and retailers Result 4: Animal feed strategies focusing on competitive local production of different, affordable crops developed and piloted. Implementation progress The project has been progressing slower than anticipated in terms of infrastructure and moving focus from production to marketing but the ROM conducted in April 21 was rather positive. The goat part includes: •12 District-level Goat Improvement Centres (GIC) set up as hubs to provide primary business support services in partnership with the Goat Breeders Association of Zimbabwe and Livestock Research Stations (Matopos, Grasslands, Henderson), •12 Goat Producers Business Associations (GPBA) in 5 provinces (MatNorth, MatSouth, MashEast, MashCentral and Manicaland) representing a potential 10,000 goat producers, •1,000 anchor goat farmers identified and trained to cascade support to approximately 9,000 farmers, •Establishment of 2 Goat Holding Centres at Henderson and Matopos Research Stations In Year 1, farmers were identified In Year 2, the improved gilts were imported, • 1000 core anchor farmers trained in VC development, and marketing, •2,500 private businesses including 2400 small independent butcheries in high density suburbs strengthened organizationally for demand-creating
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