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Precious Manomano Herald Reporter
The Government’s plan to grow the country’s national herd to 11 million cattle by 2030 is progressing well with various programmes in place to ensure that the country meets national beef demand.
To grow the national herd, the Government is spearheading an artificial insemination programme to farmers in rural areas, the process involves cross breeding with semen from selected quality bulls.
Speaking after touring Montana Carswell Meats Farm in Nyabira last week, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Deputy Minister Davis Marapira indicated that it is possible to rebuild the national herd if genetics and nutrition and health problems are adequately addressed.
“We need to increase our national herd close to 11 million so that will increase our meat. To make sure that we have a reasonable breeding herd to cattle in the country, we create an environment where breeding is possible.
“We also create an environment where we allow farmers to do breeding. We sell bulls to our A1 farmers, our A2 farmers and commercial farmers so that we have new blood lines in the breeding system of our cattle.
“We get semen from all over the world from South Africa, Brazil, America, Australia. The bulls which we create out of the seed will come out with our national herd,’’ he said.
Currently the national herd stands at 5,6 million.
Cde Marapira indicated that he is pleased by the operations at the farm adding that several supermarkets in the country are benefiting from meat that is produced at the farm.
He added that they will engage other authorities to ensure that they access a bigger land to do their operations efficiently.
Cde Marapira also encouraged farmers to intensify dipping during this period where tick-borne diseases start to manifest.
“We want to make sure that the problem which wipes all our cattle in rural areas is controlled.
“We have to fight January disease. We are winning so we have to make sure that we dip our cattle,’’ he said.
Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Marian Chombo indicated that there is a need for the Government to increase agricultural extension workers in rural areas and financially support artificial insemination programmes in rural areas.
‘’We must increase extension services that will educate farmers. We have lost large numbers of cattle due to tick-borne diseases. We are all witnessing that at this farm all systems are in place to avert diseases such as January diseases, paddocks are there to make sure that diseases are not spread to other farms. We encourage this,’’ she said.
Montana Carswell Meats Mashonaland West Assistant Regional Manager Mr Ranganai Mutetwa indicated that the size of their land is limiting them to keep and breed more cattle as they wish.
“We can go to 600 cattle, but we cannot do that because of land. Currently we are on 270, but if we get more land, we can go to 600. Our genetics help communal farmers to upgrade their maShona cattle which are small,’’ he said.
Various farmers from different provinces get artificial insemination programmes at the farm.
Government is expecting the livestock industry to grow to US$3,4 billion by 2025 after the sector makes positive strides in improving productivity and combating cattle mortality following the outbreak of tick borne diseases which ravaged almost half a million of cattle since 2016.
Online Reporter