Nyamandlovu farmer revolutionises sheep breeding

A 37-year-old Nyamandlovu farmer, Mr Movement Mugabe, is leading the charge in Dorper Sheep breeding. His initiative aims to bolster local sheep genetics and, in turn, increase farmers’ income. Mr Mugabe, who does his farming at Garden Bounty Dope Dorpers, specialises in stud breeding, focusing on the high-yielding Dorper breed.

Recognising the limited number of sheep farmers in Zimbabwe and the subsequent high prices, Mr Mugabe believes that expanding Dorper breeding can significantly benefit local communities. By introducing this adaptable and productive breed, farmers can improve their flocks and generate greater returns.

Started in 2023, Garden Bounty imported about 23 Dope Sheep from South Africa, which have since increased to 53, with a target of reaching 100 by the end of this year and 500 by the end of next year.

Mr Mugabe stated that the main aim of their project is to support local farmers in improving local genetics, with Dorper Sheep being adaptable to the local climate and weather.

He highlighted that Dorper Sheep have an added advantage for farmers as they gain weight faster than traditional sheep, have an excellent twinning rate, and a high breeding cycle.

“We are based in Nyamandlovu and we started with stud breeds so that we can supply our local farmers. They can introduce them to their flocks and we can improve the genetics of the local sheep,” said Mr Mugabe.

“What’s good about Dorper Sheep is that you can breed them with your local sheep, and the offspring are bigger than our local ones. You don’t have to breed a Dorper with another Dorper; you can start with local sheep and get a good F1C offspring. The more you breed that Dorper and the offspring, for about four to five generations, you end up having a pure Dorper breed.”

Farmers now breed local animals, including cattle, goats, dogs, and sheep, with imported genetics like Boer goats, Simmental bulls, German Shepherds, and Dorper sheep to achieve desirable weights that yield high returns on their investments. Goat farming in Zimbabwe is gaining momentum, especially as some local breeders are obtaining exceptional genetics.

Due to low rainfall in the region and the Kalahari sand, Mr Mugabe mentioned that they face challenges with feed, noting that Dorper sheep survive on grazing, with green grass being the main feed.

“Farming Dorper is more profitable. It is as good as farming cattle because you get profits out of it,” he said.

However, he appealed for Government assistance in acquiring land and removing barriers to importing pure breeds from South Africa, stating that this would significantly improve local genetics.

“As Zimbabwe, we want to do the same as South Africa, exporting pure breeds, semen, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to other countries, bringing much-needed foreign currency to our country,” said Mr Mugabe. “We want to make Zimbabwe one of the best sheep breeders in the world.”

He also emphasised the need for strong breeders’ associations in the country to advocate and lobby for them as they work on improving local genetics.

“As young upcoming farmers with a clear vision and direction, we appeal to the Government to give us more land because we are aiming to raise the Zimbabwe flag higher as we aim to export as we go,” said Mr Mugabe.

The Government continues to urge farmers, especially small-scale farmers, to engage in small livestock farming like goats, pigs, sheep, and poultry, stating that this agriculture sub-sector is not labour-intensive and requires less capital for start-ups.

This has led to the introduction of various initiatives, including the Presidential Goat Scheme, the Presidential Poultry Scheme, and the approval of the Livestock Growth Plan, which aims to grow the livestock sector to a US$1,9 billion economy by 2025.

Key strategies of the Livestock Growth Plan include improving animal nutrition, genetics improvement, animal health, climate change adaptation and small stock production, development of markets and trade infrastructure, and resource mobilisation. Livestock production in Zimbabwe is an important source of income and a safety net for millions of people, particularly rural women and youths, and is a significant contributor to agricultural GDP.–@SikhulekelaniM1