Rains bring relief to Mat North

grazing pastures bringing relief to farmers amid calls for the construction of dams to retain most of the runoff. After farmers lost several hundreds of livestock worth thousands of United States dollars from September to December last year due to a heat wave compounded by the unavailability of grazing pastures and drinking water, the rains, although a bit late for the early crops, have resulted in the sprouting of grazing pastures and availability of drinking water as well.
A visit to areas such as Chisuma, Jengwa, Sizinda, Dibutibu and Monde under Chiefs Mvutu and Whange respectively showed that there was an increase in grazing pastures all over from villagers’ homesteads to the forest areas.
At the same time there was a lot of drinking water for the animals in wetlands.
Villagers told Chronicle that indeed the rains had brought relief to them as their livestock now had pastures all over.
“We no longer have to travel long distances to look for pastures and water for our animals to eat and drink. We are also no longer going into the forestry area where we were risking the lives of our livestock as well as ours in the forest full of hyenas and lions,” said Mr Mark Sibanda, of BH 12, Jambezi.
According to Mrs Laina Furusa of Jengwa village under Chief Whange, the perennial water problems could be solved if they had dams to collect the runoff, which she said was being wasted.
She added that they were losing a lot of runoff which she said could be collected in the dams for future use.
“From late December to date, we have been blessed with a lot of rain and that has resulted in the sprouting of grazing pastures and availability of drinking water. Unfortunately we are losing a lot of it which could have been harvested but just ends up flowing as far as Zambezi River which is out of our reach.
“We call upon the Government to consider constructing dams in this province so that we collect most of the run off,” she said.
Other villagers said because of the availability of pastures and drinking water, even the problem wild animals like the elephants, hyenas and lions had briefly stopped coming to the villages.
“There is some peace now in the villages from problem wild animals as there is water and pastures all over, even in the national parks and forestry areas,” said Mr John Ncube from Woodlands farm.