Chronicle Editor
Nothando Zondo, Sunday News Reporter
THE Government has been applauded for initiating the livestock feeding programme in Lupane District, Matabeleland North Province aimed at preventing livestock poverty deaths and economic loss to farmers as the effects of drought get severe.
With more than 120 000 cattle in the district at risk, the Government’s intervention is crucial to safeguarding the livelihoods of most farmers in the district who depend on livestock.
The effects of the El-Nino-induced drought has left depleted pastures and dried water points. The drought has significantly affected the health and market value of livestock.
As of August 2024, 62 livestock deaths have been recorded in the district.
The programme sets up nutrition gardens, livestock feeding troughs, livestock water troughs, and supplementary feeding troughs. Livestock sales centres are also being constructed in each drought mitigation centre, equipped with solar-powered boreholes.
In an interview with Sunday News, Kusile Rural District Council chief executive officer Mr Sifiso Hadebe praised the programme as a timely intervention saying it will save the livestock that many farmers depend on.
“The programme is a welcome intervention as cattle are the backbone of Lupane communities’ livelihoods. They are their economic lifeline. The programme will serve the productive herd as the El Nino-induced drought is very severe, and pastures are almost zero,” he said.
The programme mainly targets cattle at risk, categorised as three and four providing a 2kg daily ration per animal per day of supplementary feeding.
As of 18 August, some sites in the district were surveyed for the programme and several wards set to benefit from dip tanks, livestock centres, animal health centres, and cattle sale pens.
“Various wards in the district will receive specific facilities, including dip tanks in Gwamba, Malunku, Sotani, Matshiya, and Jotsholo, a livestock centre in Jiba Jiba, an animal health centre in St Paul’s, and a cattle sale pen in Sobendle to support the livestock drought mitigation efforts,” said Mr Hadebe.
He said the programme had been launched in wards 8 and 13 in Jotsholo, with plans to expand to other areas, and registration of farmers to benefit from the programme is underway.
“It is my prayer that the programme will cover the whole district, including the borehole drilling exercise for livestock, as most water sources are drying up,” said Mr Hadebe.
Mr Hadebe urged villagers to safeguard pastures against veld fires that further decimate the strained grazing areas.
He also encouraged farmers to sell old and unproductive stock to buy feed for productive ones.
“To reduce risk and loss of livestock, farmers are encouraged to sell old and unproductive stock so that they can buy feed for productive animals,” said Mr Hadebe.
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