Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe, Zimpapers Business Hub
THE livestock sector is the cornerstone of livelihoods for over 60 percent of Zimbabwe’s population, a primary source of nutrition, and a key driver of the national economic recovery and growth agenda, a senior Government official has said.
Speaking at the ongoing Africa Food Systems Forum in Dakar, Senegal, on Tuesday, Permanent Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri, delivered a compelling address during the Livestock Ministerial Deep Dive, urging African nations to place livestock at the heart of food systems transformation.
“Livestock is not a subsector — it is the foundation of livelihoods for over 60 percent of Zimbabwe’s population, a vital source of nutrition, and a pillar of our national economic recovery and growth strategy,” he said.
Professor Jiri explained that Zimbabwe’s livestock strategy is guided by the Agriculture and Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy, underpinned by the Livestock Recovery and Growth Plan, which aligns with the National Development Strategy (NDS).
“Our key priorities include Climate Resilience: promoting drought-resistant fodder crops and water harvesting techniques to build resilient livestock systems in the face of recurrent droughts.
“As part of my Government’s response to the El Niño-induced drought of the 2023/24 season, we developed a Drought Mitigation Plan centred on the establishment of Ward Drought Mitigation Centres (WDMCs) across Zimbabwe’s 1 620 rural wards.
“These centres provided water, feed, and dipping facilities for livestock. Through this intervention, we successfully saved over 90 percent of the two million cattle that were vulnerable to the drought,” he said.
In the coming months, Professor Jiri said his ministry will begin developing a National Feed and Fodder Strategy and Action Plan, aimed at targeted interventions within the livestock sector.
On disease control, he noted that Zimbabwe had made significant progress.
“We have made notable strides in controlling Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) through robust vaccination programmes and movement control measures, thereby safeguarding our national herd and maintaining access to
export markets,” said Professor Jiri.Turning to genetic improvement, he highlighted efforts to revitalise the national dairy and beef herds through artificial insemination and the introduction of superior genetics to boost productivity.
He emphasised the importance of value addition — moving beyond primary production to develop leather, dairy processing, and meat value chains to capture greater value and generate employment.
Despite commendable progress, Professor Jiri acknowledged ongoing challenges, stressing the importance of strategic partnerships. Transboundary animal diseases remain a significant concern.
“Transboundary Animal Diseases such as January Disease (Theileriosis) and FMD continue to pose major threats.
We need collaborative research to develop better vaccines and establish real-time regional disease surveillance systems. This will be crucial in re-establishing our lucrative beef markets with the EU and opening new markets in Asia,” he said.
On climate change, he underscored the urgency of scaling up resilient production models.
“Greater support is needed for scalable models of climate-smart livestock production, including sustainable feed and forage systems,” he noted.
Professor Jiri also called for investment in stronger data systems to support policy formulation and targeted interventions.
“Technical support for data-driven decision-making is essential to strengthen livestock information systems for improved policy planning and investment. Recently, with support from the FAO, my ministry completed the development of a livestock greenhouse gas inventory. This inventory will be instrumental in providing evidence for interventions related to climate change adaptation and mitigation,” he said.
