Chronicle Editor
The south-western parts of the country are generally dry.
As a result, they are the hardest hit when a drought hits. The impact in Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North, southern Midlands and Masvingo provinces extends beyond people’s food insecurity to that of livestock. In 2019, for example, as many as 21 000 head of cattle died as a result of lack of pasture and water in Matabeleland South. While communal farmers were worst affected, even commercial ones also lost some livestock. A few who had the resources harvested and stocked up on hay or bought commercial feed which they fed on their livestock.
Artherstone Irrigation Scheme appears to have come up with a more sustainable solution to the challenge – they have started a promising fodder crop growing project. As we report elsewhere today, the scheme in Insiza has 25 hectares under lucerne and management is actively looking at expanding the area under this very important crop. Many cattle owners in the area are already buying lucerne from the scheme.
Mr Sisa Sibanda told us that he buys fodder from there, further noting that lucerne was very nutritious and convenient.
“Production of lucerne has brought huge relief to us as we are now able to access supplementary feed for our animals at an affordable cost,” he said.
“Lucerne is generally cheaper when compared to stockfeed that we buy from shops. Lucerne has helped me boost my animals for sale and also to boost animals whose condition is deteriorating because of drought. Lucerne is also convenient compared to other stockfeed which require us to feed animals and supply them with water in one place. With lucerne I can feed the animals and then drive them to the dam to drink. With the other stockfeed animals should not feed and then walk a long distance to get water as it causes them to deteriorate.”
A farmer at Artherstone Irrigation Scheme, Mr Zenzo Jele said lucerne production had not only brought a source of livelihood for them but they now also had a reliable source of supplementary feed for their livestock.
“This fodder production project has brought huge relief to us as farmers. Now when we run out of pasture, we can just revert to lucerne for supplementary feed. Locals are benefiting from it a lot,” he said.
Artherstone Irrigation Scheme has done well to lead the way in expanding the sources of nutrition for the herd in the region. They deserve plaudits for that because, before their project, we had not heard of any commercial production of fodder crops in the province.
However, 25 hectares of lucerne is too small to feed the provincial herd if disaster strikes hence we implore the investors at the facility to put more of their land under lucerne, while trying other fodder crops as well, among them lab-lab and so on.
We, too, suggest that commercial farmers in Masvingo, Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North and southern Midlands set aside portions of their properties for fodder crop production, the same way dairy producers in wetter regions of the country do.
This has cost implications, we acknowledge. Farmers need to clear the land, have a reliable water source and irrigation systems to be able to effectively grow the crops. However, the risk of not doing so looks bigger than the cost. The other advantage of growing fodder is that it is highly nutritious, probably more nutritious than the natural veld. A fodder bank can also be a new, viable income stream for a farmer.
Online Reporter