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Hundreds of cattle from the province have flooded parts of Mangwe and Matobo districts, especially in resettlement areas around Figtree for grazing pastures, leaving local farmers with little grazing space.
Unscrupulous cattle buyers are taking advantage of the situation and buying cattle at low prices.
On Tuesday there was a cattle sale at Mainline Cattle Pens at Hay Grange Farm where some beasts reportedly fetched $170.
Speaking at the Matabeleland South provincial launch of the National Fire Week on Wednesday, Governor Angeline Masuku expressed concern that the province was fast losing large herds of cattle.
The anti-fire campaign launch was held at the Mainline Cattle Sale Pens, which were built by local businessman, Mr Mkhulunyelwa Nkomo at Hay Grange Farm in Ward 11 and are being used for the sale and feeding of cattle.
Governor Masuku said farmers could only avoid losing their cattle by building pens to feed cattle and selling them at their own time and price.
“Yesterday there was a sale here and I got worried when I heard some were sold for $170. Some of these cattle are not sold because people want to, but it is because there are no grazing pastures and they end up selling them for a song rather than just watching them die,” said Governor Masuku.
She said the poor rains received this year compounded by veld fires that usually destroy large tracts of land were a threat to the provincial herd which was now one of the lowest in the country despite being the highest a few years ago.
“These cattle you sell for a song are taken somewhere where they are fed using the same grass from this province. Most of our districts have nothing in terms of grass and with veld fires coming we will remain without any cattle,” Governor Masuku said.
She said the Government was committed to reviving the national herd.
She urged local authorities and other stakeholders to combine efforts and construct pens around communities where there are cattle.
“I do not think the Government can fail to lend you money to do this. The Mangwe local authority and other stakeholders should put heads together to prevent our cattle from being taken for a song, we are now ranked number five in terms of the number of cattle nationally yet we were once number one.
“What are you doing about this, let us join hands and build cattle pens in our communities, this is possible as long as people are united as farmers because we might end up with even nothing to sell because some are even selling heifers and cows which under normal circumstances should be preserved for production,” Governor Masuku said.
She said her province was facing serious food shortages although there were programmes such as the Grain Loan Scheme and the most affected districts were Gwanda, Bulilima, Mangwe Beitbridge Matobo and parts of Insiza.
Ward 11 Councillor Ngonidzashe Chemhuru said they had engaged the Zimbabwe Farmers Union to assist farmers with stockfeed.
She said they would like to identify halls in the district where stockfeed would be stocked for distribution to farmers at a nominal price.
Village head for Village Two, under Chief Wasi, Mr Cecil Moyo, said the drought was forcing farmers to sell their cattle at low prices.
Online Reporter