Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
THE Government, through its agricultural extension services, has started training livestock farmers in Beitbridge on ways to produce cost effective supplementary stock feed using basic ingredients, to reduce livestock poverty deaths.
The initiative is one of the many plans by the Government to reduce poverty deaths among cattle due to depleting pastures.
The target is to raise 420 tonnes of urea-treated stover across the district with an estimated 100 000 cattle, 150 000 goats and 50 000 sheep.
Among other things, livestock production is one of the major economic activities benefitting community members at household level.
District Livestock Officer, Ms Cecelia Chakanyuka said so far they have trained 39 agriculture extension officers on real stover treatment, urea molasses mineral block making and bush meal processing for livestock.
She said the Government was providing the urea fertiliser for the initiative.
Urea treatment is a method used to improve the nutritional value of crop residues, like maize stover for animal feed.
It involves treating the stover with a urea solution, which breaks down the fibrous material and increases its digestibility and crude protein content.
This process enhances the utilisation of available feed resources, particularly during the dry season when grazing is limited
“The agriculture extension officers are already training the farmers on the ground and we are happy with the uptake so far,” said Ms Chakanyuka.
“So, under this project, the Government is providing the urea fertiliser while the communal farmers are providing other material, including the polythene plastic and maize stover for urea treatment.
“The idea is to produce enough supplementary stock feed for the cattle and other livestock before pastures start depleting.”
She said interested farmers should contact agriculture extension officers for assistance to get the fertiliser that is being supplied by the Government for free.
Ms Chakanyuka said the mineral blocks help give livestock protein and that the treated stover enhances digestion in cattle and other ruminants.
The bush meal, she said, is prepared mainly to supplement stock feeds for non-ruminants like donkeys.
“So far, we have trained 23 agriculture extension officers in Beitbridge East and another 16 in Beitbridge West. These are now training the communal livestock farmers on the basics of urea treatment of stover, urea molasses mineral block making and bush meal processing. We need to process more than 420 tonnes of these and we are well on course,” said Ms Chakanyuka.
She said for urea stover treatment, the farmers were being taught how to make the pits and secure them with recommended plastic paper.
This, she said, was affordable considering that the ingredients are readily available in communal areas.
Ms Chakanyuka said the farmers needed to embrace the programme that is being supported by the Government to save livestock.
