Broadcasting Minister Monica Mutsvangwa at a press briefing yesterday revealed Zimbabwe’s 2021 Second Round Crop and Livestock Assessment Report.
The following are the highlights of the 2021 Agricultural Season crop output projections
- Maize production is estimated at 2 717 171 metric tonnes, which is 199% higher than the 907 628 metric tonnes produced in the 2019/2020 season.
- Traditional grains production is projected at 347 968 metric tonnes, which is 128% more than the 152 515 metric tonne output of the previous season.
- The total cereal production projection is 3 075 538 metric tonnes, against a national cereal requirement of 1 797 435 metric tonnes for human consumption and 450 000 metric tonnes for livestock.
- Cotton production is estimated at 195 991 metric tonnes in the 2020/2021 season, which is a 94% increase from the 101 000 metric tonnes in the 2019/2020 season.
- Tobacco production is estimated to increase by 8% to 200 245 metric tonnes from 184 042 metric tonnes in the 2019/2020 season.
- Soya bean production is expected to increase by 51% to 71 290 metric tonnes from 47 088 metric tonnes last year.
- Sweet potato production is estimated to increase by 269%
- Sugar beans are projected to increase by 142%
- Groundnuts are also expected to grow by 139%.
Livestock Updates
- . The national beef cattle herd increased from 5 443 770 cattle in the previous season to 5 478 648 this season, and the average national cattle mortality rate decreased from 12% in 2019 to 4.2% in 2020
- The 2020 Second Round Crop and Livestock Assessment Report says that total milk production increased by 6%, from 75 422 158 Litres in 2018 to 79 896 215 Litres in 2019. The dairy herd stood at 39 856 animals with 19 022 milking cows.
- Egg production is increasing, reaching a new high of 59.3 million dozens in 2020, surpassing the 2019 production by 18% ( which was 50.4 million dozens) and 7% higher than the previous record of 55.3 million in 2016.
- According to the 2020 statistics from the total of 74 million day-old broiler chicks were produced in 2019, a 19% decline compared to the 91 million chicks produced in 2018. The decrease was a result of high costs of production (mainly feed and day-old chicks) and the general reduction in consumption.
- In 2019, a total of 3 985 sheep with an average carcass weight of 17 Kgs were slaughtered at abattoirs across the country.
- Twelve thousand three hundred and eighty-one (12 381) goats, in 2019, with an average carcass weight of 11 Kgs were slaughtered at abattoirs according to the 2020 Second Round Crop and Livestock Assessment Report.
- The national sow herd was estimated to be 60 351 in 2019, of which about 20 351 is in the commercial pig production sector.