Beef Beyond Borders: Zimbabwe Targets Asian Markets with Disease-Free Exports

Zimbabwe is pushing to re-enter the global beef market with a focus on Asia (image source)

Zimbabwe is sharpening its strategy to reclaim a place in the global beef export market, with a renewed push toward Asian consumers and tighter disease surveillance.

Deputy Agriculture Minister Vangelis Haritatos confirmed that the government is negotiating trade deals with Indonesia, the UAE, and other Asian countries, seeking to revive a sector once central to foreign exchange earnings.

“We’re establishing disease-free zones to meet international standards.”— Deputy Agriculture Minister Vangelis Haritatos

The foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) challenge has long crippled Zimbabwe’s beef exports. To address this, the government is adopting compartmentalization and commodity-based trade, approaches endorsed by the STEPS Centre as viable alternatives to classic disease-free zones. Partnerships with African Livestock and Organic Welfare (ALOW) and ZimTrade are strengthening compliance monitoring.

Asia’s growing middle class presents a multi-billion-dollar beef market.

“Asia is hungry for high-quality beef, and Zimbabwe must seize this opportunity,” said livestock economist Dr. Tawanda Moyo.

Commercial rancher Nyasha Mupfumi added:

“We’re ready. Our cattle are healthy, and we’ve invested in biosecurity. All we need are open markets.”

With over 24,000 registered animals across 17 breeds, and record-breaking auctions—such as a Brahman bull fetching US$40,000—the sector shows strong growth potential.

Experts say the initiative could restore Zimbabwe’s reputation as a leading beef exporter, while boosting rural incomes and creating jobs.