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Precious Manomano
Herald Reporter
Experts have advised farmers to prepare supplementary feed for livestock to ensure that when the hot dry season comes before the rains there will be enough feed for livestock.
The measure is part of mitigation strategies to alleviate cattle deaths during dry seasons.
So far the state of pastures and water is good throughout the country.
Department of Veterinary Services chief director Dr Josphat Nyika yesterday said farmers must embrace the call to start procuring their own fodder to supplement the limited pastures in winter and summer.
He encouraged farmers to continue dipping their cattle and increase dipping intervals to reduce outbreaks of tick-borne diseases.
“The condition of cattle has improved significantly following launches of war against January disease. All hotspots were practising intensive dipping. We have also rehabilitated dip tanks. We urge farmers to do supplementary feeding for their livestock because there is not enough nutrients so preparations should start now. When the summer comes their livestock will be well protected. They will have enough feed in dry periods,” he said.
Cattle farmers, even at the small scale, could grow their own forage and mix up some of their own supplementary feed to keep their herd in good shape during winter and dry periods.
Speaking recently at field day at Vista Farm in Mvurwi, the Permanent Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Dr John Basera described the model as sustainable, saying on-farm feed formulations will reduce the cost of feeds when pastures in dry and winter periods are low quality and some may be affected by veld fires in dry periods.
He also encouraged farmers to invest in sustainable intensive forage production as it is critical to sustain livestock and minimise over-reliance on commercial feeds.
The strategy uses climate-smart feed options growing lab lab, velvet beans, lucerne, katambora, teff grass, silver lift and star grass with many other forage crops also available.
The costs of commercial feed are high, hence the need to embrace on-farm feed formulations that are accessible at a lower cost.
Dr Basera also said on-farm feed formulations are critical in sustaining livestock and encouraged farmers to adopt the climate-resilient technologies as advised by researchers and extension experts.
Preventing livestock deaths using locally available resources was a sustainable way of livestock production and has the potential to increase the national herd.
Online Reporter