Andrew
Online Reporter
LIVESTOCK farmers in Mahuwe, Mushumbi Pools and other parts of Lower Guruve have lamented the unavailability of abattoirs in the area.
They say it is a major challenge in their efforts to produce high quality meat and meat products, which can fetch higher prices on the market.
The farmers, the majority of whom are members of the Mbire Livestock Farmers Association, said the establishment of a commercial slaughter house at Mushumbi Pools will help them shift from selling live animals to processed meat products, which they said can improve their earnings.
The farmers voiced their concerns during a workshop held at Mushumbi Pools in Lower Guruve, recently.
Dubbed “Mbire Livestock Indaba,” the day-long workshop, which was organised by ActionAid, looked at issues that are affecting the livestock production sector in Guruve.
Mr Cleopas Manhuhwa, a local livestock farmer, said the establishment of a commercial abattoir is long overdue.
“The absence of an abattoir is forcing us to sell our livestock to greedy middlemen for a song. We have butcheries and restaurants, and the demand for meat and meat products are very high,” he said.
“There is a greater need for the establishment of a commercial abattoir,” said Mr Manhuhwa, who boasts a goat herd of more than 100.
Responding to the farmers’ plight, Mr Barnabas Shokora, the Mbire Rural District Council engineer, assured the farmers that their plight will not be ignored.
“The good news that I would like to tell you today is that the council has, over the years, been mulling plans to establish a commercial abattoir.”
“As Council, we were doubting your capabilities to provide the required number of livestock that will make it feasible to establish an abattoir.
“Now that you make the request yourself, we are surely going to make bold steps towards the establishment of a commercial abattoir,” Mr Shokora said.
The workshop was held under the auspices of the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) and the Zambezi Valley Alliance (ZVA) initiatives.
Online Reporter