Chronicle Editor
ZIMBABWE’S efforts to grow the national herd to six million cattle got a major boost following the establishment of an animal Gene Bank laboratory at Matopos Research Institute on the outskirts of Bulawayo.
Government in partnership with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has established the new animal Gene Bank facility to capacitate the research institute so that it plays a leading role in generating and sustaining quality breeds for bulls thereby ensuring increased productivity.
The facility is expected to also provide a platform for livestock farmers in and outside the country to preserve their breeds in case of natural disasters such as drought and outbreak of diseases.
The Breeds being preserved at the Gene Bank laboratory include the African Tuli, Nguni, Afrikanda and Brahman.
The Gene Bank laboratory was established under the Build Climate Resilience of Vulnerable Agricultural livelihoods in South Africa Programme, which is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.
Matopos Research Institute already operates a regional crop Gene Bank, which serves as bio-reservoir for sorghum, pearl millet, chickpea, pigeon pea, groundnut and finger millet, which are best suited for semi-arid cropping regions in Southern Africa.
Zimbabwe, which recently took over the chair of SADC, is now at the centre of influencing regional livestock and crop production following the establishment of the two Gene Bank laboratories. The new animal Gene Bank will enable the Research Institute to harvest between 1 500 and 3 000 semen straws per bull per season, which will then be used for artificial insemination to improve the country and the region’s herd.
Following the launch of the Livestock Growth Plan in 2020, Government targets to grow the national herd to six million cattle by next year.
Speaking recently during a tour of the animal Gene Bank laboratory, Matopos Research Institute laboratory research officer, Ms Theresa Rukuni said the facility will play a crucial role in assisting farmers to preserve their breeds.
“As an institution, we have been keeping our bulls in natural environment, but the threat of disasters such as drought and outbreak of diseases has prompted the establishment of this Gene Bank laboratory,” she said.
Work at Matopos Research Institute is being complemented by institutions of higher learning such as Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT), which has also built a state-of-the-art facility that produces and stores at least seven million semen straws per year and this has gone a long way in improving the quality of the national herd.
These innovation projects by the different institutions of higher learning are a confirmation that our universities and colleges have positively responded to President Mnangagwa’s call for them to produce graduates capable of producing transformative innovations, which he said are critical for Zimbabwe to achieve rapid modernisation and industrialisation.
These institutions have already demonstrated that given the necessary support they can address many of the country’s economic challenges.
Technological innovations underpin Zimbabwe’s endeavour to modernise and industrialise in order to grow the economy. It is encouraging to note that our universities and polytechnics are fast becoming centres of excellence in science education, which is the thrust of the Second Republic.
Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabaninilo (Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo).
Online Reporter