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Business Reporter
MORE than 70 people representing farmers and various organisations have registered to attend the Sunday News Agri-business seminar to be held at the Rainbow Hotel in Bulawayo this morning.
Sunday News Editor Limukani Ncube said the response has been good adding that it was encouraging that farmers and other people were expressing such enthusiasm to openly discuss issues affecting the sector.
“The response has been phenomenal. So far we’ve registered more than 70 people who will attend the seminar. We hope the discussions will bring a positive change especially on the way farmers can benefit from rearing livestock,” he said.
The seminar will be officially opened by Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Deputy Minister responsible for livestock, Paddy Zhanda.
“We’ve various speakers and topics, which will be discussed too. More importantly we hope there’ll be more interaction in the question and answer session, where farmers can ask various authorities that are attending issues to do with the sector,” said Ncube.
Government organisations, which are expected to attend include the Department of Livestock Production, the Agriculture Marketing Authority and Agritex.
“Apart from an open invitation to farmers we’ve also invited farmer representatives from cattle, goats, poultry and pigs to share information from a specific sector point of view rather than broadly on what they need to be done to improve their areas,” he said.
The aim, said Ncube, was also to address the issue of how Zimbabwe can increase its national herd after farmers lost cattle due to drought over the years.
Between 18,000 and 20,000 head of cattle, according to the Zimbabwe Abattoirs Association, have died as a result of drought since last year.
Online Reporter