‘Produce stock registers to get forage crop inputs’

Sharon Shayanewako

THE Governmen is ramping up the movement of seed for forage crops to Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depots countrywide amid calls for farmers to bring stock registers as proof of cattle ownership to access the inputs.

Livestock specialist in the Department of Livestock Production and Development in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Ms Rutendo Nyahoda recently told The Herald that cattle farmers were expected to provide the evidence of cattle ownership to qualify as beneficiaries of Livestock Forage Bank Programme, which is designed to eliminate poverty deaths among cattle in the country’s eight rural provinces.

The programme is synonymous with Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme and is targeting 500 000 farmers who will be receiving input packages comprising 20kg fertiliser and one seed pack of any of the following three: 5kg velvet beans, 2, 5kg sun hemp and 2, 5kg lablab.

“Some of the seed is already at GMB depots while the movement of the seed has been up-scaled with farmers expected to start collecting it soon to catch the early season. For farmers to qualify, they need to provide evidence of owning cattle, which is in the form of stock registers, which are used for cattle dipping.

“As the summer season is fast approaching, this is the right time to produce cattle supplementary feeds, hence livestock input distribution to farmers is imminent. The Pasture and Feed Production programmme is synonymous with Pfumvudza/Intwasa,” Ms Nyahoda explained.

The inputs package includes 20kg of Compound D fertiliser and only one of the following seed pack – 5k velvet beans, 2, 5kg sun hemp, 2, 5kg lablab. Farmers will also get some pest and disease control chemicals.

The programme is meant to boost livestock production throughout the country in the wake of the devastating January disease and poverty deaths, added Ms Nyahoda.

The Government introduced the programme to enable farmers to access feed supplements easily.

Despite the fact that cattle are grazers and grasses are readily available in most provinces, production of feed supplement is essential in order to provide a balanced diet to livestock.

“Basically the production of forage crops is vital to ensure that livestock get a balanced diet. The fodder contains crude protein, which is used for winter supplementation during dry season when grazing is of poor quality. Cattle tend to lose weight during the dry season due to poor quality feed. They only get roughage from dry pastures and are deprived of other essential nutrients. So it is crucial for farmers to produce forage crops, harvest and bale it to curtail deficiencies in the diet,” explained Ms Nyahoda.

Velvet bean is a high yielding leguminous forage crop that is high in nitrogen crude protein content. It can withstand long dry spells especially when established early in the growing season. It provides early dry season grazing fodder for haymaking or silage making.

Sun hemp contains crude protein and is 12, 5-15 percent in green material with a digestibility of 65-75 percent. It is a pasture crop used in hay making and is also an ideal cover crop.

Lablab is a subtropical annual legume and a high quality forage production crop. It contains crude protein (21-36 percent) with 66 percent digestibility.

Meanwhile, the programme will be rolled out at an estimated cost of US$9, 6 million in all eight rural provinces for the period stretching from 2021 up to 2023.

According to the Second round crop and livestock assessment report for the 2021/2022 season, most farmers received an incomplete input package last year, with most of them receiving seed without fertiliser, which affected production of the fodder crop. Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka confirmed the matter.