Sustainability within Mafuro Farming
Mafuro Farming
Mafuro Farming is the only large scale, commercial, free range pasture dairy in Zimbabwe. It is located south east of Marondera, 95km east of Harare and is a very young business, starting its operations in 2017.
Milk produced per cattle on the free range concept exceeds current levels of milk per cow from pen fed animals.
Key Sustainability Highlights
- Mafuro Farming is introducing plantain into its dairy herd’s pasture feed as it has a high tolerance to summer heat. It is highly palatable to the animals with high mineral content, establishes rapidly and is pest tolerant.
- Rhodes grass has been introduced primarily as a forage grass of moderate to high quality to be used for grazing and making hay bales.
- 100% of the effluent is recycled and used as fertiliser on the pastures.
- Solar has been installed to run the office buildings.
Community Involvement
Pasture Field Day
- Mafuro Farming hosted a Pasture Field Day in May 2022 that was attended by 450 people.
- The aim of the field day was to impart an understanding of Mafuro Farming’s pasture-based system to existing small and large-scale dairy farmers and prospective dairy farmers as it is one of the most sustainable and cost-effective models in dairy production.
Employment from the local communities
- 57% of Mafuro Farming’s staff are employed from the local communities.
Key annual environmental data for Mafuro Farming
Note: Scope 1 carbon footprint for both 2021 and 2022 has been recalculated using the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (UK)
(DEFRA) factors for 2022
