adminElton Manguwo
AS efforts to save livestock from poverty deaths intensify, Government has urged private sector to mobilise water bowsers and move water to distressed areas ahead of the peak hunger period.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary Professor Obert Jiri recently appealed to all capable stakeholders and partners to take action and mobilise water bowsers to assist in ensuring farmers have adequate drinking water for their animals.
“Access to clean water is crucial for livestock survival, especially in these challenging times. We need to safeguard our livestock and strengthen our agricultural resilience,” he said underscoring that the involvement of private players could make a significant difference in ensuring that farmers and their animals thrive.
In this critical period, where resources are limited and conditions are tough, farmers are seized with trying to maintain their livelihoods and the health of their livestock. Access to essential resources, such as clean water, is of paramount importance for their efforts to succeed.
“We are urging all farmers to bring their livestock to designated watering points in their areas to guarantee their health and well-being during this critical time,” said Prof Jiri.
Prof Jiri added that the preventive strategies sought to identify challenges and deploy interventions before the situation further escalated.
The Government has been fast tracking the drilling of boreholes in drought stricken areas to ease access to drinking water.
Director of livestock production and development Dr Sitokozile Sibanda said they had been taking stock of the effectiveness of the drought mitigation strategies.
“The Presidential borehole drilling programme is immediately providing drinking water for livestock facing water shortages while the stock feed distribution programme is supplying mainly maize silage and wheat straw to livestock facing nutritional deficiencies,” she said.
In August, the Government successfully drilled 197 boreholes, greatly improving water access for cattle. An additional 317 boreholes are planned for this month, which will further boost the availability of water sources for livestock.
Recently, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development transformed village business units (VBUs) to serve as ward drought mitigation centres offering comprehensive services covering livestock health and nutrition, ensuring water and supplementary feed availability for animals at risk and addressing health concerns.
The stock feed industry has experienced a significant rise in the production of drought survival feeds fuelled by increasing demand from farmers especially those facing drought challenges from the smallholder cattle sector.
Online Reporter