Government Scales Up Livestock Register for Beef Exports

By Nyambe Nalishebo Government is scaling up the national livestock register and expanding export‑ready facilities as part of efforts to achieve its $1 billion beef export target. Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Assistant Director for Research and Epidemiology, Dr. Cornelius Mundia, said while Zambia has millions of small‑scale livestock keepers, only a small subset is registered for commercial export. Dr. Mundia explained that exact figures are being updated through the Integrated Agriculture Survey to strengthen planning and disease traceability. He noted that Zambia has 5.1 million cattle, but the off‑take rate remains low, requiring a shift from subsistence to intensive production anchored on improved genetics and feedlot finishing. He said the Ministry is profiling farmers to integrate them into the export value chain. So far, 16 Animal Disease‑Free Compartments have been certified in Central, Eastern, and Southern Provinces, while four abattoirs are certified for beef export. Dr. Mundia added that plans to grow the number of registered farmers include out‑grower schemes linking commercial entities with smallholders, digital registration platforms, and the establishment of community disease‑free compartments to consolidate smallholder production for export. #BeefExports #CorneliusMundia #LivestockRegister #AnimalHealth #FeedlotFinishing #AgricultureZambia #EconomicGrowth #ZNBC