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Precious Manomano Herald Reporter
Another $364,3 billion has been set aside for improving livestock in the next season as Government’s effort to combat livestock diseases bear fruit with the national herd growing in size.
The national herd stands at 5,6 million and the plans are to grow this to 11 million by 2030, these being on course with programmes put in place to ensure that the country meets the national demand for meat.
The anticipated poor rainfall this season could temporarily slow expansion, hence Government has implemented mitigatory measures to protect the national herd.
These include the setting up of modalities to relocate stock from highly vulnerable areas to regions with minimal exposure to potential drought.
Hay baling is another method targeting stock in moderate exposure and farmers with smaller herd sizes being encouraged to destock part of the herd to manageable levels and preserve value of the retained and excess stock.
The budget will help the Government to fund the Presidential Blitz Tick-Grease Scheme, Tsetse eradication, construction and rehabilitation of dip tanks, laboratory diagnostics for animal disease screening and confirmation, local production of animal vaccines, cattle genetic improvement and artificial insemination.
Government also seeks to maintain and grow the national cattle herd by putting in place measures to reduce the threat of tick-borne diseases through animal health surveillance systems and continued rehabilitation of dip tanks across the country.
To contain the prevalence of tick-borne diseases during the rains, Government has set aside $42,4 billion for dip chemical procurement plus 1,5 million kilogrammes of tick grease for distribution to smallholder livestock producers.
Around $3,5 billion is targeted for the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of 500 dip tanks across the country.
Zimbabwe Indigenous Women Farmers Association Trust president Mrs Depinah Nkomo said Government’s efforts so far reflected its commitment towards improving the agricultural sector.
“We lost thousands of livestock in the sector for the past years, but now cattle mortality has significantly dropped. We are grateful that the Government is working hard to ensure that our livestock is well protected,’’ she said.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri said there was a great improvement in the livestock sector which was growing at two to three percent per year.
“Our livestock has been growing since the rolling out of the livestock recovery growth plan. Mortality rate is going down from 13 percent prior to 2020 to about 6 percent now,” he said.
In 2021, January disease dropped by 47 percent and in the following year, it dropped by 37 percent. Prof Jiri said the Ministry was promoting the production of small stock as part of measures to adapt to climate change effects and vulnerabilities.
‘’We are promoting the production of goats and sheep so that at least we stand a chance and mitigate the vagaries of climate change. The small stock is climate smart.
“Under this, we have the Presidential goat scheme and poultry programme. We are targeting a six million herd this year and by 2025, our target is eight million.
“We have particular programmes of trying to climate proof our livestock through the adoption and promotion of small stock,’’ he said.
Online Reporter