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IN recent days there was a heated discussion on one platform of farmers about which is the better performing cattle breed in Zimbabwe. It was an interesting debate where farmers expressed their preferred choices in terms of breeds and I must say that some of the passion and affection demonstrated towards certain breeds bordered on cultism. However, what one could not escape is the fact that there is almost a defacto monopoly in terms of cattle breeds especially in the beef sector.
The choice becomes very simple for many, it’s either the Brahman or the Brahman! The inevitable question to answer is whether the Brahman is the best performing breed in Zimbabwe or it is a beneficiary of an oiled marketing crusade that managed to establish the Brahman as “the” breed in Zimbabwe and perhaps some southern African countries. This is obviously contentious because it speaks to personal preferences but I honestly do not think that other breeds can do as well as the Brahman or better but they just have not be popularised. This is the axis of my article.
I think that it is a retrogressive move to have almost every farmer doing one breed. It obviously reduces the diversity and exposes the country to the dangers of a perilous disease. If for an example you have a disease or condition that affects Brahman cattle only and it’s fatal, we may lose the entire national herd. This could sound far fetched to some people but I know for a fact that some animal disease tend to be more pronounced in other breeds than others.
Also, I think it is an unhealthy think for the livestock industry in general and beef production in particular to be anchored on the performance of one breed. It should be the role of Government extension services, farmers’ unions and other related stakeholders to promote the production and breeding of other breeds.
I work with smallholder farmers every day and if you try to find out which breeds they know other than the indigenous ones, they can only mention the Brahman and at times the Afrikander. This is obviously a gap that needs to be filled we cannot have farmers only exposed to just one or two breeds yet there is nothing wrong with other breeds, the beefmaster, semental, Boran, Bonsmara and many others which are doing well in other countries with similar environment with ours.
It is time the breeders and the societies representing otherbreeds upped their game and made their presence known such that there is a wider choice for the farmers. For the avoidance of doubt and misrepresentations there is absolutely nothing wrong with the Brahman. It is a very good breed and I love it but it is not the only fish in the pond.
On a slightly different but very pertinent note, the proposed National Budget for 2017 promises to be a burden on players in the livestock industry due to a proposal to introduce tax on meat products. While I could not immediately get clarification what “meat products” means, the inescapable fact is that any tax/levy added on the livestock value chain makes the value chain which is already burdened by heavy compliance costs, uncompetitive.
It is a well documented fact that the Zimbabwean livestock value chain is the most burdened by compliance costs in comparison with such countries as Botswana, South Africa and Namibia. The immediate effect this tax is that the livestock producer price will drop as abattoir operators and butchery operators suppress their buying prices so that they keep the wholesale and retail price at the same level even after factoring in the tax.
They are unlikely to increase the retail price of beef because it is already failing to move at the current prices and any increase will be resisted by consumers. My feeling is that this tax will affect the producer more than the abattoir operators and meat wholesalers.
On a sad note, it is with a heavy heart that I inform the farming community in general and Nyamandlovu farmers in particular of the passing away of a seasoned farmer and extensionist Mr Dumisani Dube, my mentor. May he rest in peace. Uyabonga umntakaMaKhumalo.
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