Online Reporter
Conrad Mupesa
Mashonaland West Bureau
Government and private-sector players are stepping up efforts to promote the indigenous Mashona cattle breed as Zimbabwe prepares for a potentially severe El Niño-induced drought.
The drive was highlighted today during a Mashona Cattle Field Day at Portlet Estates in Makonde, Mashonaland West, where Government officials, breeders, livestock specialists and farmers discussed strategies to build a climate-resilient national herd.
Director of Livestock and Fisheries Production in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Development, Dr Milton Makumbe, said indigenous breeds should form the foundation of livestock production, particularly among smallholder farmers.
He said Mashona cattle were well suited to Zimbabwe’s climatic conditions and could help farmers maintain productive herds during periods of drought.
Dr Makumbe urged farmers to embrace indigenous breeds as part of efforts to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of the country’s livestock sector.
“Indigenous livestock must form the base breeds for livestock production in the smallholder sector,” he said.
“Mashona cattle have evolved under Zimbabwe’s harsh production conditions and possess qualities including drought tolerance, resistance to local parasites and heat tolerance.”
Dr Makumbe said Government was developing the Zimbabwe IndiGene Programme, which will promote indigenous genetics through measures including strengthening the national gene bank at Matopos Research Institute, artificial insemination and identifying superior indigenous bulls for semen collection.
The Government, he said, was also working with the private sector to make improved indigenous genetics accessible to smallholder farmers.
At Portlet Estates, veteran livestock farmer and breeder Mr John Crawford said his return to Mashona cattle followed decades of experience with other breeds.
“I think my father actually started with Mashona and 50 years later I’m back to Mashona again. Maybe we’ve found our senses,” he said.
Mr Crawford, who has about 600 cattle, said he was maintaining a pure Mashona herd to produce breeding stock, including bulls and semen, for farmers across the country.
Livestock specialist and Mashona Cattle Society inspector Mr Godfrey Mupfugami urged farmers to embrace the breed, saying its ability to adapt to local conditions made it increasingly important as climate change intensified.
Makonde farmers Mr Walter Chidharara and Mr David Manasa Makasi said producers who had previously favoured exotic breeds were now struggling with inadequate grazing and fodder following poor rainfall.
“We adopted exotic breeds for mass and milk production, but with fodder becoming scarce, we are now feeling the burden. We need cattle that can survive on what is available locally,” they said.
The field day also highlighted the need for improved livestock management, with farmers urged to secure their animals to prevent cattle from straying onto roads and causing accidents.
