admin
Precious Manomano-Herald Reporter
Grazing is still average countrywide and gradually declining in quality, while drinking water sources are widely depleted, with walking distances to water sources now averaging 2km in most parts of the country.
Farmers have been always advised to prepare their own farm and homemade 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 stock feed at affordable costs.
According to the recent update by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, livestock condition is fair to good.
Under Hay Bailing Programme, the cumulative figures for the Government programme stands at 12 487 bales whilst private players stand at 1,3m bales.
Livestock production is a critical source of income and safety net for millions of people with climate change 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 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.
Recently, Department of Veterinary Services chief director Dr Josphat Nyika said it was critical for farmers to make supplementary feeding, adding that extension workers will assist them in making the formulations.
“Hay bailing 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 advised farmers to vaccinate their livestock from black leg and anthrax.
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.
Acting Deputy Director of Veterinary Field Services Dr Reverend Spargo recently indicated that vaccination of cattle is the most effective option for controlling the spread of these diseases and it is mainly done before the rainy season.
He also said diseases usually affect cattle during the onset of the rainy season where people are starting up their summer cropping.
“The bacterial spores that cause these diseases stay in the soil and when agricultural activities are starting such as tilling the land (excavations of the earth) this exposes the spores.
“Also after the first rain and the grass is shooting, cattle tend to graze too close to the ground and hence more are likely to pick up the spores while grazing,” he said.
He also encouraged farmers to avoid buying vaccines from unrecognised shops adding that fake vaccines may drive antimicrobial resistance adding that farmers should approach the Veterinary department for clinical and diagnosing of their livestock.
Online Reporter