PEPZ TARGETS 1500 SMALLHODLER GOAT FARMERS By Natasha Mhango

 The formalization of markets remains to be an obstacle to the growth of agribusiness in Zambia. In the goat sub-sector in particular, small holder farmers trade in an environment where middle men who have a loose network link farmers to potential markets.

Goats are more affordable to rear and more resistant to disease than cattle and hence are one preferred livestock for small holder farmers more especially in view of climate change. However, like any other agricultural venture, access to markets and
generating income requires consistency in the supply of goats and this is where a number of small holder farmers fall short.

Given that there has been reiteration for Zambia to step up efforts and take advantage of a pending market for goats in Saudi Arabia, a goat initiative launched by the Private Enterprise Program Zambia (PEPZ) comes as a timely and welcome development.

PEPZ is an organization that aims at changing how markets work and enabling the growth of SMEs in the agricultural sector, among other economic areas.

PEPZ’s Team Leader, James Blewett explained that his organization works with people who are ready to co-invest in innovation and help SMES to overcome their constraints to growth whether constraints are lack of access to finances or capacity building.

With regard to the goat initiative, PEPZ is attempting to catalyze the goat production cycle by engaging goat breeders who are key in enhancing sustainability of production.

“What we’re doing is work with people like the goat breeders because they have strong commercial incentive to bring these new genetics which are so needed into the market in Zambia,” Mr. Blewett said.

PEPZ has therefore embarked on a series of trainings of goat farmers to empower them with skills that will enhance their capacity to breed and rear goats.

PEPZ has trained 800 farmers and more recently slightly 235 more when they held yet another training which was hosted by Magro Puffet farm in Kafue.

The training was conducted by Livestock Development Trust officer, Mposha Shimbombo, who noted that there was a growing interest in goat production among many farmers in Zambia.

“Farmers [in Zambia] keep goats for different reasons and the common breed of goats that we have are our small local indigenous goats, milk goats and improved goats like the Boar goat and Kalahari Red,” Mr. Shimbombo said.

During the training, he explained that the ideal goats to have were cross breeds between the local indigenous goats and the improved goats that produced breeds that had improved disease resistance and bigger size with more meat to offer.

The interactive training which was hosted on a goat rearing farming, offered its participants an opportunity to see for themselves how healthy goats ought to be bred and managed.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister, Professor Nkandu Luo, who officially launched the PEPZ Goat Initiative was pleased with the efforts from the private sector in enhancing the growth of the goat sub-sector.

She added that there was need to incorporate the aspect of research more especially on local indigenous goats order to improve the quality of the breed.

“We need to ensure that with this program, we have even an extended partnership with research institutions that will continue researching and; even researching on our own indigenous breeds…There is merit in us celebration our indigenous breeds,” Professor Luo said.

Goat farming is a fairly easy to start business and if handled well, can offer a quick return on one’s investment. Having both local and internationally available markets initiative like PEPZ’S Goat Initiative can be described as a much need intervention in the goat sub-sector.