Govt reports gains in livestock and fisheries sectors

The Ministry of Information and Media has reported significant progress in Zambia’s livestock and fisheries sectors, citing expanded infrastructure, increased animal distribution, disease control, and growth in fish production and exports.

In its first half of 2026 update, the Ministry said key interventions were underway to grow the national herd to over 7.4 million by 2027, noting that operationalisation of the National Artificial Insemination Centre in Mazabuka was underway, with the liquid Nitrogen Plant installed.

In a statement issued in Lusaka on Wednesday, the Ministry said Government implemented targeted stocking and restocking programmes, distributing 1,409 dairy animals, 1,149 beef cattle, 358,988 chickens, 54,419 goats, 1,029 pigs and 14,387 rabbits nation-wide under the pass-on model.

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The Ministry also claimed to have rehabilitated more than 1,867,633 hectares of degraded rangelands and planted approximately 93,600 hectares of climate smart pasture.

On disease control, the ministry said millions of vaccinations were administered. “Undertook a total of 2,033,076 vaccinations against Contagious Bovine Plural Pneumonia (CBPP), 266,813 vaccinations against East Coast Fever (ECF), 7,334,593 vaccinations against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and 2,611,201 vaccinations against Anthrax,” the statement said.

In fisheries, it claimed that the total fish production increased by 53.7 percent to 238,636 tonnes in 2025 from 155,304 tonnes in 2021, attributing the growth to improved aquaculture and fisheries management.

The Ministry also highlighted that government exported 67,850.20 metric tonnes of fisheries and livestock products valued at K3,418,098,831.87 with beef exports rising sharply to 677.2 metric tonnes valued at K148,265,640.98 in 2025, from 94.7 metric tonnes valued at K5,452,470 in 2021, with exports going to DRC, Pakistan, USA, Nigeria, Tanzania, UK, Burundi, Germany, Mozambique and Canada.

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