Online Reporter
Judith Phiri
SCIENTISTS at Matopos Research Institute in Matabeleland South Province have developed innovative solutions to enhance affordable feed for livestock by formulating alternative animal feed using local crops, nutrients now wasted and insect-based proteins such as meal worms and black soldier flies.
This should address in affordable ways the growing challenges in livestock production caused by climate change, resource scarcity, and competition between food, feed, and fuel.
While many commercial products will do the job the cost can make livestock production non viable for many producers, hence the need for the alternative solutions.
As part of its initiatives, Matopos Research Institute has successfully registered under the farm feeds regulations for poultry mealworm starter, grower, and finisher diets . The institute has introduced frass blocks, a multi-nutrient feed supplement for ruminant animals such as goats and sheep, which is produced from insect waste material.
Speaking during a recent familiarisation tour of the institute’s innovation hub in Matopos, Permanent Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Professor Obert Jiri commended the work being done by the scientists.
“What we have seen here with the feed trials and experiments is truly fantastic. This is the foundation of our agriculture. Through innovations like these, we can commercialise new feed formulations that are scientifically tested and proven,” he said.
Professor Jiri said not every innovation would make it to commercialisation but stressed that the process of experimentation was essential for agricultural transformation, especially in the face of threats such as El Niño-induced droughts that have previously devastated livestock populations.
There was need to find solutions for climate change, livestock diseases, and livestock growth as Zimbabwe was grappling with inbreeding, where the livestock were growing smaller and smaller.
“Science must drive our agriculture. Even if results are not immediate, science-based agriculture will never fail us. We need to continue investing in research to find solutions to climate change, livestock diseases, and genetic challenges like inbreeding, which is causing smaller livestock,” said Professor Jiri.
“That is what we must aim for, to have a basket of all these experiments and innovations as we aim for those that are successful technologies that can drive our agricultural transformation based on science.”
By developing affordable, sustainable feed alternatives that were locally sourced, Matopos was not only offering solutions to immediate feed shortages but also helping smallholder farmers reduce costs and improve animal productivity, thereby contributing to national food security and rural development.
Matopos Research Institute’s principal research officer Ms Primrose Nkomboni, who is a nutritionist, explained that their research was guided by a mandate to create affordable, sustainable feed solutions using resources that farmers could easily access.
“These are resources that farmers can easily access. When we identify the resources, we take them to the laboratory for testing.
‘‘We test for crude protein, fibre, and other nutrients. After that, we then formulate our feed, such as lucerne, mopane, or black soldier fly-based pellets,” she said.
One of the major successes includes the formulation of bush meals, a protein-rich feed made from a mixture of mopane leaves, acacia pods, and hay, which contains 23 to 26 percent protein and is ideal for feeding ruminants and donkeys, particularly during dry seasons when conventional feed becomes scarce.
The institute is also producing black soldier fly-based pellets, comprising 30 percent insect meal and 70 percent bran, used for feeding poultry and ruminants. In addition, the team is exploring cactus-based silage, taking advantage of the plant’s high water content (around 90 percent) and its rich fibre and energy properties to enhance livestock nutrition during dry periods.
“We also use acacia to make silages and improve the quality of our hays and cereal stovers. It aids and improves the digestibility of hay and cereal stovers,” said Ms Nkomboni.
Ongoing feeding trials using mopane-based pellets were investigating the leaves’ natural anthelmintic properties, which could help reduce internal parasite loads in goats.
“Feeding trials are ongoing for goats with mopane-based pellets. We want to see how the goats perform in terms of internal worms. Properties in mopane are known for reducing the worm load in the gut,” said Ms Nkomboni.
The innovations at Matopos Research Institute come at a crucial time as Zimbabwe seeks to build a more resilient livestock sector in the wake of increasing droughts, erratic weather patterns, and rising input costs.b
