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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Mutare Bureau
Most households in Manicaland Province have the least number of cattle and goats in the country, as they continue to reel from last year’s El Nino-induced drought, which saw more than 25 000 animals dying from diseases and malnutrition-related illnesses.
According to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment (ZimVac) 2017 report on Manicaland, the province has the highest proportion of households that do not own cattle or goats.
This is despite several livestock production initiatives that have been implemented by several non-governmental organisations in partnership with Government.
One such initiative is the Goat Pass-on programme, which has seen households in several districts receive goats on loan to be paid in kind by passing on the first offspring to fellow farmers within the community.
Presenting the report at a feedback meeting in Mutare last week, the Food and Security Council advocacy and communications officer Mr Llyod Chadzingwa told stakeholders that most households in Manicaland did not own any livestock.
“As a province, we have about 72 percent of rural households who do not own any cattle, while only 28 percent own cattle,” he said.
“With regards to goat production, only 34 percent of households have goats, while 66 percent do not own a single goat.” Nationally, there was an increase in goat ownership from 38 percent last year to 46 percent.
Manicaland province was hardest hit by the drought that affected the country during the 2015 /2016 agricultural season, recording over 12 000 drought -related livestock deaths, 51 percent of the total deaths recorded countrywide.
A breakdown of the livestock ownership statistics per district showed that Mutasa District has the highest number of rural households without any beasts at 97,3 percent.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter