Zambia aims to become a major beef exporter, with
President Hakainde Hichilema setting a target of exporting beef worth US$1
billion annually. Achieving this
ambition will require more than increasing the cattle population, establishing
modern abattoirs and identifying new international markets. How beef is
exported throughout the supply chain will also play an important role.
Promoting business ethics among beef industry players should therefore form
part of the foundation of Zambia's beef export strategy. A reputation for
honest, responsible and trustworthy business practices will be equally
important in building confidence among international consumers.
Beyond complying with the legal and policy framework
governing the beef sector, livestock farmers must ensure proper animal care,
maintain accurate production records, observe animal health requirements and
avoid prohibited substances that could compromise the safety and quality of
beef. Some of the key legislation includes the Animal Health Act No. 27 of
2010, which provides for the prevention and control of animal diseases,
quarantine and regulation of animal and animal-product exports; the Food Safety
Act No. 7 of 2019, which protects consumers against health hazards and food
fraud; and the Public Health Act, Cap. 295, together with other relevant Meat, abattoir
and butcheries regulations, which provide for meat inspection and hygiene
requirements. These laws establish important responsibilities for farmers,
traders, abattoirs and other operators along the beef value chain.
Traders also have a responsibility to offer fair and
competitive prices, use accurate weighing equipment and conduct transactions
transparently. At the processing stage, abattoirs and meat processors must
observe food safety standards, maintain proper hygiene, prevent contamination
and provide safe working conditions for their employees. Compliance with these
requirements is important not only for protecting consumers but also for
ensuring that Zambian beef meets the standards required by international
markets.
Ethical conduct should not stop at the farm gate or
processing plant. Every player in the supply chain must be accountable for
their actions. Corruption, bribery, tax evasion, fraudulent certification,
illegal movement of livestock and misrepresentation of product quality could
damage Zambia's reputation and undermine the country's export ambitions.
Although many of these practices are already prohibited by law, promoting
business ethics goes beyond punishing offenders. It encourages industry players
to voluntarily uphold honesty, transparency and accountability, thereby
strengthening compliance, reducing opportunities for misconduct and building a
culture of responsibility across the entire beef supply chain.
I therefore propose
holding a National Beef Industry Indaba to bring together key players in the
sector to deliberate on how Zambia can achieve its ambition of exporting beef
worth US$1 billion annually. The Indaba could be convened by the Ministry of
Fisheries and Livestock, in collaboration with relevant government
institutions, private-sector associations and development partners. Its
objectives would include identifying challenges affecting the beef value chain,
strengthening coordination among stakeholders, promoting compliance with legal
and international market requirements, and identifying practical investment and
financing opportunities. One of its key outputs should be for instance, a
National Beef Industry Code of Conduct, accompanied by an agreed action plan
outlining the responsibilities of different stakeholders, implementation
timelines and mechanisms for monitoring progress.
Public
institutions may include:
1. Ministry
of Fisheries and Livestock (principal ministry)
2. Ministry
of Agriculture
3. Ministry
of Small and Medium Enterprise Development
4. Ministry
of Green Economy and Environment
5. Ministry
of Industry
6. Ministry
of Trade and Exports
7. Ministry
of Electricity
8. Ministry
of Petroleum
9. Ministry
of Justice
10. Ministry
of Labour and Social Security
11. Ministry
of Health
12. Zambia
Development Agency
13. Zambia
Bureau of Standards
14. Zambia
Revenue Authority
15. Zambia
Metrology Agency
16. Competition
and Consumer Protection Commission
17. Anti-Corruption
Commission
18. Veterinary
Council of Zambia
19. Zambia
Statistics Agency
20. Selected
local authorities
21. Zambia
Police Service
22. Zambia
National Service
23. Media
representatives, including Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS), Zambia
National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), News Diggers and other media houses.
Private-sector
participants may include representatives of:
1. Zambia
National Farmers Union
2. Selected Beef Companies
3. Major
abattoirs and meat processors
4. Commercial
livestock farmers and ranchers
5. Smallholder
and traditional livestock farmers
6. Livestock
farmers' cooperatives and associations
7. Feedlot
operators
8. Livestock
traders
9. Livestock
transport and cold-chain companies
10. Commercial
banks and insurance companies
11. Clearing
and forwarding agents
12. Meat
exporters and distributors
13. Veterinary
service providers
14. Livestock
input and animal feed suppliers
Other
stakeholders may include:
· Consumer
organisations and representatives.
· Labour
unions and workers' associations representing employees in abattoirs,
meat-processing plants and livestock transportation.
· Universities
and research institutions involved in veterinary science, animal production,
agriculture, economics and supply chain management.
· Civil
society organisations working in agriculture, consumer protection, governance
and environmental sustainability.
Development
and international partners may include representatives of:
1. Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
2. World
Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
3. Common
Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
4. World
Bank.
5. Other
selected development and technical partners
Key
topics for discussion may include:
i.
Legal and regulatory
compliance-Translating and simplifying the principal Acts, regulations and
policies governing the beef industry
ii.
Animal health, welfare and traceability-Strengthening disease surveillance,
vaccination programmes, animal welfare, livestock identification and
traceability systems.
iii.
Operations and supply chain management
iv.
Financing, investment and market access-Identifying
opportunities for affordable financing, private-sector investment, among
others.
v.
Business ethics and corporate governance-Promoting
transparency, fair trading practices, accountability, responsible business
conduct, among others.
vi.
Coordination and enforcement-Strengthening
collaboration among key stakeholders
vii.
Safety and security-Addressing animal
disease prevention and control (biosecurity), livestock theft and illegal
movement of animals, as well as occupational health and safety for workers in
farms, among others
viii.
Information dissemination activities.
ix.
Research, innovation and technology
Further
reading
Hichilema,
H. (2026) ‘President Hichilema’s full address to the 14th National Assembly’,
Lusaka Times, 10 October. Address delivered on 9 October 2026. Available at: https://www.lusakatimes.com/2026/10/10/president-hichilemas-full-address-to-the-14th-national-assembly/
(Accessed: 4th November
2026).
Munkombwe,
E. (2026) ‘$1bn beef export target achievable – expert’, News Diggers!, 9
October. Available at:
https://diggers.news/business/2026/10/09/1bn-beef-export-target-achievable-expert/
(Accessed: 4th November
2026).
Siachitoba,
I. (2025) ‘Empowering the livestock sector: Lessons from Zambia’s landmark beef
export to the DRC’, Amulufeblog, 22 November. Available at:
https://www.amulufeblog.com/2025/11/empowering-livestock-sector-lessons.html
(Accessed: 5th November 2026).
Siachitoba,
I. (2026) ‘The effect of inventory practices on beef supply chain performance
among Lusaka-based meat companies’, African Journal of Commercial Studies,
7(3), pp. 241–247. Available at: https://doi.org/10.59413/ajocs/v7.i3.30.
Siachitoba,
I. (2026) ‘Zambia’s US$1 billion beef export ambition requires stronger supply
chain management practices’, Amulufeblog, 12 October. Available at:
https://www.amulufeblog.com/2026/10/zambias-us1-billion-beef-export.html
(Accessed: 6 November 2026).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Innocent Siachitoba is a University of Zambia graduate, researcher, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) specialist, planner, and operations, projects and supply chain management professional with over 13 years of experience and a strong interest in national development.