Vusumuzi Dube
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
THE Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development has said over 4,7 million hay bales have been done this season, while farmers are currently in the process of baling wheat straw.
Hay baling helps to supply livestock farmers with affordable feed for their animals as commercial feed remains beyond the reach of many farmers. In addition to baling hay, farmers are also baling fodder such as lucerne, which is highly nutritive.
In a weekly update, the Ministry’s Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) Senior Management report on livestock production and development update said the cumulative hay bales stood at 4 755 237.
“Hay baling season from the natural veld has ended. Baling of wheat straw is in progress with provinces still being urged to report wheat baling activities. The cumulative hay bales done this season stands at 4 755 237,” he said.
In terms of the on-farm feed formulation improvement programme (O-FFIP), the report said treatments have widely ceased with current activities now focusing on resource mobilisation towards resuming the programme at the end of the 2023/24 summer cropping season around April in 2024.
However, it said after the consolidation of activities done since inception, the total tonnage countrywide under the O-FFIP now stands at 49 metric tonnes.
On grazing and drinking water quality and availability, ARDAS report said: “Hot, dry conditions were experienced in most parts of the country during the week with no rainfall being reported across the whole country. Walking distances currently average three kilometres (km) in most parts of the country although some parts of Mashonaland West, Midlands and Matabeleland North are reporting a dire livestock drinking water situation.”
It said early season sprout resulting from the rainfall activity of mid to late October was providing grazing to livestock across the country though it is widely inadequate, while average livestock condition is fair with body condition currently ranging around 3.
A body condition score is determined by the amount of body fat or lack of body fat and is expressed numerically, based on a 1 to 5 scale with one being very thin and five being overly fat.
On the Presidential Rural Poultry programme, the report said 26 600 birds were distributed to Mashonaland East (1 600), Guruve in Mashonaland Central (5 000), Matobo in Matabeleland South (10 000) and Mutasa in Manicaland Province (10 000).
“After these current deliveries, the total number of birds distributed in the current year now stands at 716 719,” read part of the report.
“No deliveries were made for the Presidential Goat Scheme and deliveries since inception stand at 6 897 as of 25 August 2023.”
Online Reporter