adminSamuel Kadungure and Blessing Rwizi
COMMUNAL households in Buhera have broadened their livelihoods after they incorporated animal husbandry on the back of research by local donor agencies that singled out this as the only ideal type of farming most suitable for the arid and drought prone region.
Livestock has become the main source of income in this part of Manicaland district, whose greatest challenge to crop cultivation has been the scarcity of water.
Climatologically, the district has undergone negative metamorphosis and is now characterised by low and highly variable rainfall that makes crop production untenable.
Crop production has dismally failed given the dry conditions, high temperatures, tired and overworked sandy soils that characterise Buhera.
Climate change experts blamed the heating up of the earth on the changing weather patterns for the increasing amount of gases in the atmosphere, especially carbon dioxide and other gases such as methane and nitrogen — commonly referred to as greenhouse gases.
NGOs Goal Zimbabwe and World Vision did a research, whose findings have better informed the struggling and often resource poor and marginalised communal farmers to diversify their livelihoods by taking livestock farming seriously, as a much sustainable source of livelihood.
The project rolled out by Goal Zimbabwe — has enabled thousands of farmers to take up cattle, goats, sheep, traditional chickens and turkeys farming.
Goal Zimbabwe went a step further to equip farmers with technical skills in animal health, feeding and management — which have been a resounding success.
Goal Zimbabwe, in partnership with Makera Cattle Company, distributed selectively breed 27 bulls in seven wards, for cross-breeding. The initiative has a long-term effect of improving the genetics of the cattle.
These bulls are genetically engineered.
Buhera Rural District Council chairperson and Ward 15 Councillor Mr Ngonidzashe Musakaruka told The Manica Post, recently, that in his area the bulls have started reproducing calves weighing about 25kg.
The calves, he believes, grow faster than their Mashona breeds.
“We are beginning to realise the benefits. In the past we used to have calves weighting 10 to 15kg. Apart from their small size and poor weight, the cattle had an inferior work rate as well as milk production. Their poor weight meant poor prices.
“We are happy that following the intervention of Goal Zimbabwe, which donated 27 bulls in seven, of the 33 wards, we are beginning to have better quality calves weighing between 25 to 30kg. This signals better things to come for the local communal farmers. However, the only risk factor is that of hyenas,” said Mr Musakaruka.
He said Goal Zimbabwe and World Vision were conscientising communal farmers on the need to cross breed their animals with genetically engineered breeds to improve their herds.
He said livestock production was now a viable farming option that was enhancing food security, nutrition and poverty elimination through income generation.
He said the organisations should broaden their programmes and assist the whole district on the importance of communal cattle production, equip them skills to confront constraints to sustainable production and research needs necessary to improve the production systems.
World Vision is currently constructing goat pens and an auction shed where the farmers will sell their animals in Ward 25. A least 86 villagers have benefited from the World Vision goat-breeding project. They now have 460 and 700 traditional chickens and $4 000 in savings.
The initiative has proved that the improvements of communal cattle management can be a sustainable way to improve the livelihoods of marginalised rural population.
Ward 25 farmers last month received some he-goats and 16 Buhera she-goats.
Ward 25 Councillor Daniel Chirinda and farmer said the NGOs’ initiative has greatly improved the livelihoods of the communal population.
“We have been ignorant about livestock farming. We were blinkered toward crop farming, which all along has been letting us down since our region is drought prone. Our ignorance has seen us doing crop farming without tangible results.
“It’s only now after the surveys conducted by these NGOs that we realise animal breeding was the social aspirin that the doctor has prescribed for our area.
“Livestock farming has brought a complete and positive change in our lives. We are now able to sell or exchange our goats, chicken, sheep and cattle for maize in other regions. Our livelihoods have greatly improved,’’ said Chirinda.
Mr Morelife Chisveto, of Fenekiasi Village, who took up cattle farming being spearheaded by Goal Zimbabwe in partnership with Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has expanded his business.
“As a community, we are now awake, we now know where to invest and get a return — that is in livestock. What is the point of doing crop farming when the crops eventually die in the scorching sun? Our poverty levels have dwindled and self-sufficiency as rural people has been boosted,” said Mr Chisveto.
The farmers, however, revealed that getting a fair price on the market was still a challenge.
“We are having market difficulties. Buyers coming to buy our animals are offering very low prices and we end up selling because we need to buy food. We want the government and these NGOs to assist us by linking us to better markets where we get fair prices,” he said.
Another cattle farmer Mr Tafadzwa Masango said their focus was now on improving the breed.
“We grew up with this Mashona type, which is not high-yielding and we now have bulls donated to us by Goal Zimbabwe, and we hope that with these high yielding bulls or heifers we can cross our breed and get better yields that maximise our profits,” said Mr Masango.
Goal Zimbabwe assistant country director Professor Joseph Kamuzhanje argued that livestock now plays a key food security role in Buhera and critical step towards halving extreme poverty in drought-prone and marginalised communities.
Animals play multiple functions, producing important food products and manure. They are a source of income, provide draught power, and fulfil banking and insurance functions.
Small livestock have an advantage in that they require minimal investment on the part of poor livestock keeper. They can also be kept in the vicinity of the house and fed with “residue” from agricultural production.
Income from livestock and their many products — milk, eggs, meat, wool, leather — can allow poor families to put food on the table, improve their nutrition, send their children to school and buy medicine for themselves and their animals.
Provincial Administrtator Mr Fungai Mbetsa said farmers in Buhera should make collective efforts to bargain for better prices.
“The increase in the production of small animals such as chickens, turkeys, guinea fowls, sheep and goats can create a better livelihood and improve supplies of proteins, vitamins and minerals in rural households,” he said.
“You need to approach the issue of market with one voice because you will lose the battle if you are isolated. You can even decide to sell straight to the final consumers as it is more profitable that selling to middlemen.
“A kilo of mutton costs $11 in a big supermarket yet the communal farmer who is producing the sheep that weighs 30kg is getting $35 at most. That is unacceptable, because that is the price for three kilograms. You really need to take this issue seriously as you can make more money by selling directly to the final consumer than selling your products here at wholesale prices.
“All that you need to do is to come up with ideas, make collective efforts then organize transport and clearance letters from the police and veterinary offices to transport your animals to the cities or growth points and sell them to the final consumers,” said Mr Mbetsa.
He said farmers in Buhera should quickly learn the ropes while the NGOs were still around.
“These NGOs will not be around to help us for the rest of our lives. It is wiser for us to learn quickly from them so that we are able to continue with these projects on our own after them,” he said.
Online Reporter