Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
GOVERNMENT has moved in to promote the growth of the crocodile farming sector across the country with a focus on value-addition to increase earnings for producers and widening exports.
The crocodile farming model was among the top exhibits that attracted attention during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), which ended in Bulawayo on Saturday.
Crocodile farming has over the years become a key factor in the leather sector with numerous benefits downstream.
In an interview, deputy director for fisheries and aquaculture resources in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Ms Lilian Rudo Nyashanu, said the crocodile products exhibits tell a story of transformation in the crocodile farming industry.
She explained that developing a vibrant crocodile industry was critical in driving the manufacturing industry revival.
“What we are seeing here are crocodile skins from reptiles that have been reared on a farm. A crocodile farmer shared crocodile skins with us, which have been preserved for a period of five years for us to share the ministry’s vision of reviving the industry,” said Ms Nyashanu.
Crocodile farmer, Ms Vimbai Dzingirai supplied the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development with the crocodile skins that were on display the ZITF.
The bigger and thicker skins that were on display was from crocodiles that were 30 years or older while the thinner skins were from crocodiles aged between three to five years old.
She explained the process that crocodile farmers go through from capturing wild reptiles to domesticating them until they are ready for slaughter to harvest skins and other by-products.
“What the crocodile farmers do is that they go into dams and capture wild crocodiles with the permission of ZimParks. The wild crocodiles are brought to farms where they produce eggs,” said Ms Nyashanu.
“The eggs are then hatched at the farm and the hatchings are called grower or tamed crocodile.”
The grower crocodiles are reared for a period of five years before maturity and skins are the main products.
“The other product that is harvested from the grower crocodiles is meat, which is sold to hotels and restaurants as well as direct to communities that enjoy crocodile meat,” Ms said Nyashanu.
She said there is also soap made from fat that is harvested from the grower crocodiles.
“There are also supplements that are produced from the bones of paws from the grower crocodiles that have medicinal properties,” said Ms Nyashanu.
She said Zimbabwe was positioning itself to exploit opportunities in crocodile farming industry by tapping into the value-addition chain from crocodile farming, which at the moment has fewer players with limited supplies to the European market.
“We also have some local companies that are tapping into the crocodile skin value-addition chain by manufacturing hand bags, belts and shoes,” she said.
Crocodile farmers are in Mount Darwin, Kariba, Binga, Victoria Falls, Masvingo and Mwenezi.
“The most promising development is that we are seeing black Zimbabwean farmers venturing into crocodile farming. In-fact, the farmer who supplied the crocodile skins that the ministry is exhibiting at the ZITF is a black female farmer based in Darwendale.”
Ms Nyashanu said the ministry was pleased by the uptake of crocodile farming, especially among black Zimbabwean farmers.
In the past the crocodile farming was dominated by white farmers.
In Matabeleland North, crocodile farmers are in Binga and Victoria Falls.
“The ministry is readily available to offer technical support to farmers that are interested in venturing into crocodile farming and we have also come in to make sure that issues to do with water tariffs are not a hindrance to farmers,” said Ms Nyashanu.
She said the ministry was engaging crocodile farmers to ensure water tariffs remain affordable so that farmers can realise reasonable profits from crocodile farming.
Ms Nyashanu debunked the myth that crocodile farming requires a lot of land and water.
“It will come as a surprise to most people, farmers included, that one doesn’t need large pieces of land and lots of water to venture into crocodile farming as one can construct several ponds but make sure that there is a constant supply of water into those ponds,” she said.
The reptiles spend a lot of time in both water and land and it’s also important for farmers to keep a few shrubs for them to cool off under in hot weather.
