Published: 5 hours ago

Zimbabwe is stepping up efforts to revive its once-thriving beef export industry by targeting Asian markets, with authorities intensifying surveillance of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) to protect herd health and comply with international standards.

The country was a major beef exporter in the late 1980s but saw output collapse in the early 2000s following the Fast-Track Land Reform Programme, which disrupted large-scale commercial ranching. Recurrent disease outbreaks such as FMD further reduced herd sizes and led to the loss of lucrative foreign markets.

Deputy Lands and Agriculture Minister Vangelis Haritatos told Parliament this week that government is now working on expanding the country's export base to East Asia.

"Government is currently negotiating a bilateral Beef Export Trade Protocol with Asian countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. The main challenge affecting exports has been foot-and-mouth disease control. To this end, Government has intensified FMD surveillance and established disease-free zones for beef production," Haritatos said.

He noted that the ministry is collaborating with African Livestock and Organic Welfare (ALOW) and ZimTrade to ensure that Zimbabwean beef meets strict international quality standards.

East Asia represents a vast and growing market for beef imports, fueled by rising demand from its expanding middle class. China is the world's largest beef importer, while Japan and South Korea rank among the top global buyers.

If successful, Zimbabwe's renewed entry into Asian markets could signal a major turnaround for the livestock sector, boosting export earnings and creating new opportunities for farmers and agribusinesses.
- NewZimbabwe