adminSenior Farming Reporter
THE western zone of Makoni – ridiculed for its semi-aridity, tired, infertile and fragile soils that led to diminished agricultural potential and gave it a bad tag of acute poverty, has suddenly gone under rapid transformation into a bastion of livestock farming.
Livestock has become the main source of income in this part of Makoni West, where the greatest challenge to crop cultivation is the scarcity of water. Climatologically, the area undergone negative metamorphosis and is now characterised by low and highly variable rainfall that makes crop production untenable.
Climate change experts blamed the heating up of the earth on the changing weather patterns, on 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.
However, communal farmers in Nerwande Village under Headman Masvosva, in Makoni West, who tried their luck on a livestock fattening project lead by NGO Goal Zimbabwe in partnership with Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), are reading a success script.
The project, though winding up at the end of this month, is set to continue under the stewardship of the Livestock Production Department and the Animal Health and Veterinary Services Department, which were the key stakeholders in training the farmers.
The livestock project was rolled out in 2012 and has considerably enhanced livestock numbers, thereby making livelihoods of beneficiaries more safe and sound.
The initiative has proved that the improvements of communal cattle management can be a sustainable way to improve the livelihoods of people in marginalised rural population.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr Petros Gumunyu of Nerwande Village in Masvosva, said he had nothing to show before joining the project, but hardly two years down the line, was a proud owner of eight beasts, numerous goats and small birds.
“I am now a respectable man in this community. Many have taken a cue from my success story to start their own projects.
“I am a grateful man and what I have tasted is a little success and have set myself an even bigger target,” said Mr Gumunyu.
Goal Zimbabwe assistant country director Professor Joseph Kamuzhanje said livestock farming was now a key component of food security and nutrition in drier zones that are unsuitable for crop production.
Prof Kamuzhanje said livestock production was viable to farmers in terms of food security, nutrition and poverty elimination through income generation.
Livestock farming has had a great leap towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which range from halving extreme poverty rates to halting the spread of HIV and Aids and providing universal primary education by 2015.
Prof Kamuzhanje said there was need for review focuses on the importance of communal cattle production, constraints to sustainable production and research needs necessary to improve the production systems.
Communal cattle production in Zimbabwe is extensive and dominated by indigenous cattle which are adaptable to the local environment.
The quality of the breed has been compromised due to inbreeding.
The major constraints identified are high disease and parasite prevalence, low level of management, limited dry season forage availability and poor marketing management.
Any improvement in these constraints may lead to a sustainable increase in communal cattle production.
“One aspect we have noted is that genetic quality of the cattle and goats is decreasing as a result of inbreeding. We are working on improving and correcting the situation by introducing a better breed of bulls and bucks,” explained Prof Kamuzhanje.
Communal cattle fulfil multiple roles that include milk, manure, draught power, serve as an indication of one’s wealth status and provision of meat and hides as terminal products.
Cattle hides are used to make drums, tents and mats.
They are a source of income and they also fulfil banking and insurance functions.
Improvement in cattle production and innovative value addition of cattle can create employment for people as individuals are hired to process and sell cattle and their products at various points of the production chain.
Cattle play a pivotal role in socio-cultural functions such as lobola payments and appeasement of ancestors.
They are also useful in nutrient recycling in communal range-lands.
Cattle can also be exchanged or loaned to neighbours to enhance kinship ties.
Member of House of Assembly for Makoni West Cde Kudzie Chipanga urged beneficiaries to seriously take up such initiatives, arguing that an upsurge 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.
Cde Chipanga said cattle must be regularly dipped while other animals have parasites regularly combated to improve the health and the yields and simultaneously reduce transmission of parasites to humans.
Veterinary care, grazing lands, feed grain, reliable water sources, good roads and embracement of modern breeding technologies were critical.
When farmers are provided with these, for example, the health, productivity of the livestock and incomes increase.
This also gives a boost to the economy which is agro-based and livestock is very important.
Online Reporter