adminPrecious Manomano
Herald Reporter
The country’s livestock condition is still good although farmers are advised to prepare their own feed formulations which will help prevent livestock from lack of pasture during the dry periods.
Self-production of stockfeed is among the cornerstones of the Second Republic’s vision of restoring the country’ s beef processing hub.
The intervention has been identified as a major approach to boosting the national herd through ensuring that farmers have access to highly nutritious stockfeed at affordable costs.
Livestock production is a critical source of income and safety net for millions of people, but recent prolonged dry spells due to climate change are negatively affecting agricultural production, including pastures.
The scheme falls under the livestock growth plan, which is part of the agriculture and food systems transformation strategy that is expected to turn agriculture into an US$8,2 billion industry by 2025 and contribute towards the achievement of Vision 2030. To augment Government efforts irrigation holders have been urged to put a portion of their land under fodder production.
Update from Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services indicates that grazing is still average in terms of both availability and quality.
The report also indicates that access to drinking water for livestock is however still good while beef condition is mostly fair to good.
Hay baling is ongoing around the country with four provinces, including Mash central, Manicaland and Mat North.
“Rangelands however continue to dry up with cold dry conditions setting in. Baling activity has produced a total of 462 627 bales and only 2 158 are from the Government while 462 469 are from the private sector. There is a need to encourage proper housing of calves, pigs and chickens to minimize mortality due to cold related complications such as pneumonia,”he said.
Department of Veterinary Services chief director Dr Josphat Nyika said it is critical for farmers to make supplementary feeding, adding that extension workers will assist them in making the formulations.
“Hay baling is in full throttle. Fire season has started and hay baling helps to supply livestock farmers with affordable feed for their animals as commercial feed remains beyond the reach of the majority of farmers,”he said.
Dr Nyika also said it is critical for farmers to vaccinate their livestock from black leg and anthrax.
He also urged farmers to deworm livestock to destroy internal parasites as the season changes from summer to winter.
He also advised farmers to do weekly dipping during this time, adding that in areas where January disease remains a challenge, dipping should remain on a 5 -5- 4 regime.
Cattle farmers, even at the small scale, can 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.
Farmers are being encouraged 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.
The model is sustainable since on-farm feed formulations will reduce the cost of feed when pastures in dry and winter periods are low quality and some may be affected by veld fires in dry period.
Online Reporter