More than 250 million litres of milk go to waste annually despite the deficit the nation faces, says the Dairy Association of Zambia (DAZ).

“The wastage comes about because producers cannot get to the milk to market due poor road networks and the high cost of transportation,” DAZ said in a statement obtained by Africanfarming.com.

According to DAZ, the lack of power supply to producers far from main roads and the railway network also contributes to the milk wastage.

Currently Zambia imports milk to fill a deficit estimated at more than 50 million litres per year. Domestic demand has been increasing at a higher rate, and is currently estimated to stand at 445 million litres per year.

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National production is dominated by small-scale producers who have 1 829 093 cattle, representing 82.8% of the country’s cattle herd.

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