Chronicle Editor
Nothando Zondo, Sunday News Reporter
UMZINGWANE District has been commended after successfully reducing livestock deaths by close to 80 percent through the implementation of various Government-initiated drought resilience measures.
According to the 2024 Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC) Rural Livelihoods Assessment, 30 percent of households in Matabeleland South Province had reported livestock deaths this year as the province continues to feel the impact of the El Niño dry weather phenomenon.
The dry spell experienced in the country had a huge impact on the national herd, with some districts in the Matabeleland region being the worst affected with livestock farmers losing animals to poverty deaths.
That saw the Government stepping up its drought response programme to mitigate the loss of livestock by ensuring the availability of feed, water and vaccines.
The authorities established village-based troughs at community boreholes to ensure access to drinking water for the livestock.
It has, however, since emerged that Umzingwane District farmers have managed to reduce their livestock death statistics from between 80-120 a week to 15-25 a week.
Speaking at a livestock field day, at Irrisvale 1a ward 13 in Umzingwane District, Matabeleland South, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri applauded the district for applying the knowledge the Government has been passing to farmers through extension officers, which led to the reduction of loss of livestock.
“The Government introduced urea treatment of stova to farmers to provide feed for their animals. Umzingwane District has implemented that, leading to the reduction of its livestock loss, as well as Beitbridge.
“I want to assure all farmers that reducing the loss of livestock is the Government’s top priority. Our President, Mnangagwa, is clear in his mantra that no one and no place will be left behind in economic development, and as a Ministry, we reaffirm this commitment and say that no cattle or livestock will be left to die in our watch from this drought,” said Prof Jiri.
He explained that the interventions underpinning the strategy include supplementary feeding programme, water supply initiatives, veterinary services and capacity building through trainings.
“In addition to the Drought Mitigation measures, the Government under the Rural Development 8.0 banner is implementing a combination of interventions aimed at building resilience in rural areas.
“A key intervention under rural development 8.0 is the blitz-tick grease programme, aimed at distributing tick grease to 1.8 million farmers in the country. This tick grease is meant to help protect livestock from tick-borne diseases such as Theileriosis (also known as January disease), which will then affect milk production and quality of milk produced and ultimately lead to loss of income,” said Prof Jiri.
He said while the country builds resilience, the focus should also be on how farmers can leverage dairy production to transform the lives of smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe.
“I challenge Agritex staff to engage input suppliers so that they avail affordable feed for livestock for our farmers and financial institutions to avail low-cost financing facilities as well as off-takers to enhance market access for dairy farmers to ensure the sustainability of their enterprises,” said Prof Jiri.
The Matabeleland South provincial livestock specialist, Mr Hatitye Muchemwa, said they were grateful to the inputs that the Government had given them towards drought mitigation.
“I would like to point out that the province has been able to reduce animal deaths because of the interventions such as the Presidential Silage Scheme, Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme and the capacity building that we have done with our farmers, which have all been effective in the reduction of animal loss in the province,” said Mr Muchemwa.
Online Reporter