ZIMBABWE’S livestock sector can deliver stronger returns for rural households when farmers have reliable markets, timely information, and the confidence to negotiate prices, rather than surrendering valuable animals to opportunistic buyers and retaining more of the value of their hard work.
The Government’s call for farmers to bypass exploitative middlemen and use ward drought mitigation centres deserves attention as the country approaches another demanding period for grazing and water, rather than accepting prices dictated by buyers during shortages today.
Over the years, drought has placed farmers in an unfair position, forcing them to sell cattle cheaply because keeping animals alive becomes difficult as pastures deteriorate and water sources become scarce, when bargaining power is weakest for families.
These distress sales reduce the value of individual animals, weaken household incomes, erode productive assets and undermine livestock’s contribution to rural livelihoods, food security and agricultural development, weakening communities dependent on agriculture and community resilience across rural districts.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Professor Obert Jiri, has urged farmers to use Government-established marketing channels instead of allowing middlemen to exploit their vulnerability, when fair market access matters most nationwide.
Speaking during the ministry’s national clean-up campaign at the Matabeleland North Provincial Veterinary Office headquarters in Bulawayo on Friday, Prof Jiri described exploitative practices as a serious threat to agricultural progress, urging farmers to use available support consistently.
He said some middlemen fleece livestock and crop farmers, while others supply fake seed, actions he characterised as “agro-terrorism” because such practices take advantage of producers facing difficult circumstances, rather than supporting sustainable agricultural growth fairly and transparently.
As the lean season progresses, livestock condition can deteriorate, pressuring farmers to accept low offers from buyers who warn that drought could increasingly leave their animals starving, exploiting anxiety created by deteriorating seasonal conditions now.
That pressure explains why accessible, organised and transparent marketing arrangements matter, giving farmers alternatives before circumstances become desperate and helping them make decisions based on value rather than fear, strengthening livestock-based rural economies in every rural ward.
Ward drought mitigation centres are intended to provide that practical alternative, with Government supplying livestock feed and water while establishing facilities for handling and selling animals within rural communities, helping farmers manage seasonal risks without sacrificing herds.
Properly coordinated, these centres can become more than emergency support points, connecting farmers with auctioneers, veterinary officers, rural district councils and the Agricultural Marketing Authority in one organised marketplace, ensuring transactions are fair, visible and competitive locally.
Prof Jiri said farmers in each ward should meet at the centres and engage AMA on suitable selling dates, ensuring transactions involve relevant authorities and market participants while helping farmers secure fair prices and avoid distress sales.
The revived Cold Storage Company also presents an important opportunity, providing a substantial cattle market and intending to use ward drought mitigation centres to engage directly with livestock producers, helping stabilise demand and expand farmers’ marketing options.
The establishment of 751 centres across 1 527 rural wards provides a significant foundation, although continued expansion will be essential if the initiative is to reach more communities in remote wards, especially where livestock supports household livelihoods.
Farmers must also plan, assess herd condition, identify unproductive animals and reduce numbers before drought pressure intensifies, feed shortages deepen and selling decisions become urgent, when feed and water constraints can quickly reduce animal value.
Selling unproductive cattle early is responsible management, not defeat: it can protect breeding stock, preserve remaining animals’ condition and release resources, while organised markets help farmers obtain fairer returns and strengthen rural economic development over the long term.
