The livestock sector is worth over $1.5bn in Zambia and accounts for around 35% of the agriculture production share of national gross domestic product. The sector has experienced steady growth in recent years. Beef and dairy products are growing around 7% and 10% annually respectively. The poultry industry has also doubled in size over the last ten years. Companies listed here raise, buy and sell livestock for farming and food production in Zambia. Livestock is domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fibre and labour. Poultry is commonly included within the meaning of 'livestock'.
Livestock is the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labour and produce commodities such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather.
In Zambia livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labour and produce commodities such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term in Zambia is used to refer solely to animals that are raised for consumption and sometimes used to refer solely to farmed ruminants, such as cattle, sheep and goats. Horses in Zambia are not considered livestock as in the United States. Here in Zambia, we classify pork, veal, beef, lamb, mutton as livestock, and all livestock as red meat. Poultry and fish are included in the category.
The breeding, maintenance, and slaughter of livestock, known as animal husbandry, is a part of modern agriculture and has been practised in many cultures since humanity's transition to farming from hunter-gatherer lifestyles. Animal husbandry practices have varied widely across cultures and time periods. It continues to play a major economic and cultural role in numerous communities.
Livestock farming practices have largely shifted to intensive animal farming. Intensive animal farming increases the yield of the various commercial outputs, but also negatively impacts animal welfare, the environment, and public health. In particular, livestock, especially beef, dairy and sheep stocks, are an outsized source of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.