Public private partnerships should also cover the livestock sector

THE story about Government going into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) to revive Antelope and Ingwizi Arda estates made for pleasant reading.

This is one initiative that should be lauded as much as possible and given all the support it deserves.

This is the only revival lifeline that is needed for some of the ailing state enterprises.

This could be the answer to some of the parastatals, especially those that are agriculture related as Government and viable businesses seem to have an inverse relationship.

It is not with doubt that Arda estates countrywide were once centres of economic growth and a source of employment and income for many people.

Their death resulted in many livelihoods being affected and without doubt the nation’s food security was also compromised.

Some growth points turned from vibrant economic zones to ghost centres overnight.

In this regard this pen commends the Government decision to rope in private players to revive Arda estates and I am positive that people from Maphisa where the project has kicked off are already beginning to feel the impact of such a huge investment in their midst.

However it is also worth noting that such initiatives should not be limited to crop production only but be extended to the livestock sector as well.

It is without contention that livestock production is one of the major economic drivers in the southern parts of the country and as such it needs and deserves all the support.

I have no doubt in my mind that if relevant authorities apply their minds they can come up with a similar partnership which will benefit livestock producers.

As a starting point for example giant state enterprises which have a livestock inclination such as the Cold Storage Company (CSC) and Pig industry Board (PIB) can be considered for a similar partnership.

CSC has huge facilities that are just being run down and could be put to good use.

A private player can be brought in to implement some of the projects which CSC used to do such as restocking programmes.

PIB used to have a vibrant out grower scheme for pig producers and this is still a commercially viable model which can be pursued by private players.

I therefore implore relevant authorities to apply their minds and see how these Arda estates can be utilised as completely agricultural hubs which means other forms such as livestock production have to be incorporated into the production plans of the estates.

Feedlots can be set up in these estates and then private players such as abattoir operators and meat wholesalers can loan farmers the stock feed and the cost can be recovered at the point of selling.

This kind of contract farming has been piloted in some wards of Lupane with tremendous results in terms of repayments of loaned feed.

Even big stock feed manufacturing companies can be brought into these feedlots and linked with farms on a contract farming basis so that farmers can get the stock feed on loan basis and pay when they sell their pen fattened animals.

Smallholder livestock farmers are generally faced with four major challenges in their production system, namely irregular uncompetitive and unreliable markets, diminishing and inadequate grazing and watering points, poor performing breeds and unreachable extension services and lack of credit facilities. These challenges are not insurmountable if powers that be can focus into the livestock sector and craft Government driven interventions that talk to these challenges. Livestock interventions cannot just be left to non-governmental organisations to do a hit and run service.

Talking about credit facilities a number of microfinance institutions are mushrooming and claiming to provide easily accessible funds for farmers.

While some of these institutions are well meaning and professionally run entities, farmers should be counselled that some of these institutions are loan sharks with a complete disregard of their welfare. They are just blood sucking and bloodletting vampires that farmers should approach with caution. I know of farmers in Lupane who are limping after they were given a loan for pen fattening against technical advice and the prices dropped in the market and the micro finance institution completely refused to offer the farmers just a grace period of about two weeks so that prices could firm. The farmers sold the animals at a loss just to take the monkey off their backs!