adminTinomuda Chakanyuka Sunday News Reporter
MATABELELAND South Province lies in natural Region Five, which traditionally receives below average to low rainfall, making it one of the driest parts of the country. This defining feature has thus seen the province being frequently affected by droughts. Essentially, the province, semi-arid as it is, is suitable for cattle and game ranching.
Over the years the province, together with other parts of the country which share similar climatic conditions, has been blighted by intermittent droughts, leaving devastating effects on livestock and people in the region.
The year 2012 was the last time that Mat South province experienced a drought and farmers in the province still have fresh but not so fond memories of the trail of destruction that the dry spell left, particularly on their herd.
This rainy season has not been the best for the country as most parts have received below average rainfall with the southern part of the country being the worst hit.
Matabeleland South Province, which lies in the southern part of the country, has already started witnessing a manifestation of the effects of the dry spell and the shared prayer is that the looming drought will not be as devastating as the previous ones.
In last week’s edition of the Sunday News, we ran a story in which it was predicted that about 350 000 cattle out of about 500 000 in the province were at risk of starvation owing to lack of pastures due to erratic rains received in the area.
Crops in most parts of the province, particularly in Beitbridge, Matobo and Insiza, have not been spared the impact of the dry season and are now a complete write-off after succumbing to moisture stress. People too are staring drought in the face as food shortages loom.
In the wake of such developments, unquestionably negative, Government has since advised farmers to start destocking by selling their livestock to avoid suffering total losses due to the drought that has besieged the province.
Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Deputy Minister in charge of Livestock Cde Paddy Zhanda said — considering the failed crops and looming food shortages in the province — farmers needed to start selling their cattle and buy food for themselves and the remaining cattle, rather than wait for their cattle to die of starvation first and then wait for Government to give them food aid.
Such suggestions have obviously evoked some sense of excitement among cattle buyers, who are gleefully rubbing their hands anticipating to make a killing from the situation.
While for the farmers the development spells a looming tragedy, cattle buyers and other briefcase businessmen who jump from one sector to the other seeking fortune are bracing themselves for brisk business.
During droughts, when there is shortage of food for both people and their livestock, unscrupulous cattle buyers have become notorious for pouncing on desperate farmers whom they exploit to sell their cattle for a song, mostly in exchange for a few bags of maize grain.
Such a trend where farmers are exploited by unscrupulous buyers, prevalent as it may, should however be curtailed as it leaves farmers vulnerable. Government should come up with measures that ensure that farmers are protected from being fleeced by briefcase cattle buyers.
The first step towards protecting farmers should be unpacking the message sent out by Government that farmers should start destocking to unlock the value in their cattle and avoid total losses.
As it is the message may be prone to various interpretations and unscrupulous cattle buyers will obviously attempt to twist it to mean that farmers have to sell their cattle en masse, yet that may not necessarily be what Cde Zhanda implied.
Livestock expert Mr Bruce Tavirimirwa who is a research officer in the livestock production section at Matopo Research Station, explained what destocking entails, urging farmers not to go on a bandwagon of selling cattle.
“When destocking, farmers should do it systematically. The essence of destocking is not to sell cattle and keep the money, but it is to sell cattle so that you can raise money to buy feed for the remaining herd. For example, when one has 100 cattle, they can sell say 10 or so then buy hay or any other supplementary feeding for the remaining 90. This way the farmer would have managed to avoid total losses and this is what proper destocking is all about.
“When selling cattle during destocking one should bear in mind that the drought will end and they will need to restock. Thus one has to be careful how they sell their animals. Farmers should guard against selling their breeding stock because it will then become difficult for them to start restocking when the situation normalises. The farmer should consider selling their old cows and oxes to raise money to feed the remaining,” advised Mr Tavirimirwa.
Another research officer at Matopos Research Station, Mr Richard Mwembe, who is in charge of the range and pastures section, added that farmers, when selling their cattle, should seek expert advice first to avoid being exploited by cattle buyers.
Mr Mwembe urged farmers to sell their cattle in groups and only to traditional registered cattle auctioneers who offer competitive prices.
“Organised marketing is the way to go as it gives farmers bargaining power when selling their cattle. Farmers should avoid doing business from their kraals with individual buyers. Such practice leaves the farmer vulnerable to exploitation. They (farmers) should organise themselves, get transport to take their cattle to traditional auctioneers who obviously offer competitive prices. Farmers should also consult first with experts before they sell their cattle,” he said.
But is selling cattle the only option that farmers have as a mitigatory strategy to the drought?
Mr Mwembe said there were various other options that farmers could explore to save their herds from succumbing to drought, but noted that all the measures needed to be timeously employed for them to be effective.
“If farmers choose to sell their cattle, this is the time when their animals are still in good shape and can still attract good prices. Farmers should not wait until the animals are now frail to start selling. There are various other options available for the farmers other than destocking. Farmers can also move their cattle to areas that are less affected by drought. Now is the time to do so to allow the animals to adapt to the new environment, not to wait until the drought sets in.
“If they have the money they can also buy hay which they must stock under strict conditions so that it does not lose its quality. The hay must be kept under a shade, away from sunlight. This is the time to start buying hay and other supplementary feeding because if the farmers wait until towards the end of the year the prices will have gone high,” said Mr Mwembe.
Another livestock expert, Mr Muhle Masuku, concurred, saying farmers could also set up feedlots as mitigation to the drought.
“The issue of combating droughts through feedlots is not new to Government; it dates back to 1992. Remnants of Cold Storage Commission (CSC) and Veterinary Services sponsored feedlots can still be seen at various locations. Formal or informal groups own the project and present an opportunity for other actors to tap into those resources through contract farming arrangements such as feedlots etc.
“Proper infrastructure to feed cattle, provide water and handling facilities is expensive but of paramount importance. The import of this idea of a self-reliant, self-sustaining model lessens dependency on Government and donor support. Oftentimes this support comes very late when the damage has already been done,” he said.
Mangwe Farmers Association (MFA) chairperson Mr Adam Bango Dube said farmers in the province were aware of the looming situation and in the process of coming up with strategies to counter the drought.
He appealed to Government to put in place measures that protect farmers from unscrupulous cattle buyers, and in the same breath urged farmers to avoid dealing with unregistered cattle auctioneers.
“The message to farmers is clear; they should not sell their cattle to unregistered cattle auctioneers or individual buyers. This leaves them prone to exploitation. If one intends to sell their cattle they should approach the traditional auctioneers who offer them competitive prices. Authorities should also assist us by putting in place measures that protect us from unscrupulous buyers who may want to take advantage of the situation.
“This time we are not going to allow people to buy cattle in the manner they did in previous years which left farmers poorer. We are working on various strategies that ensure farmers in the province will not suffer total losses,” he said.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) president Mr Abdul Nyathi echoed the same sentiments urging farmers to explore other strategies to mitigate against the drought and not rush to sell their cattle.
“We don’t encourage farmers to sell their cattle because that will only leave them poorer. There are various options that the farmers can take. For example setting up feedlots or liaising with neighbouring farmers who might have pastures in their farms to move their cattle there. Farmers should always be wary of cattle buyers, whom we know have a tendency of exploiting farmers during such situations,” he said.
A research done by Sunday News showed that cattle were being auctioned between $1,80 and $2,40 per kg (live weight) at registered cattle auctions.
However, all is not lost for the farmer, as there are various other mitigatory strategies, other than selling cattle, that farmers can employ to guard against suffering total losses due to the drought. The first step to this will be seeking expert advice.
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