Online Reporter
Lonster Mutata
Herald Correspondent
ZIMBABWE has taken a decisive step towards transforming its livestock sector, with the Government rolling out an intensive national training programme aimed at strengthening animal disease surveillance, productivity and trade through digital innovation.
The initiative is focused on building nationwide capacity in the use of the Livestock Information Management System and the digital stock card.
It is being implemented by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development through the Directorate of Veterinary Services, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation under the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund,
The chief director for Veterinary Services, Dr Pious Makaya, said the shift from paper-based records to an integrated digital system marked a historic turning point for the country’s livestock economy, strengthening disease control, enhancing productivity and improving market confidence.
He said the Government was deliberately modernising livestock management systems to ensure real-time visibility of the national herd, improved traceability and faster response to disease outbreaks.
The Livestock Information Management Systems is a strategic national asset that underpins animal health, food security and national competitiveness in regional and international livestock markets.
The three-day training programme, which started on Monday and runs until Friday in Masvingo, brings together veterinary personnel from Chiredzi, Mwenezi and Beitbridge districts, supported by senior technical experts from Harare, including epidemiologists, system developers and IT specialists.
A parallel session is also being held in Kariba, covering Binga, Hurungwe, Kariba and Mbire districts.
The country’s livestock sector is a critical pillar of rural livelihoods and national food and nutrition security.
However, reliance on fragmented, manual record-keeping systems has historically constrained effective disease surveillance, livestock movement control and evidence-based planning.
The introduction of the Livestock Information Management Systems, directly addresses such gaps through Radio-Frequency Identification animal identification, mobile and web-based data capture, digital stock cards and secure record management, enabling seamless information flow from the field to national decision-makers.
Dr Makaya said the training was particularly strategic ahead of this month’s national livestock census, which will depend on accurate, digitally captured data at the district and community level.
Reliable livestock data forms the backbone of sound policy formulation, outbreak preparedness, trade negotiations and investment planning.
Participants are receiving hands-on training in vaccination tracking, disease investigation, dipping data capture, livestock movement control, farm inspections and stock registration, complemented by practical dip-tank demonstrations.
The programme is designed to empower veterinary officers to support smallholder farmers in adopting the digital stock card system.
Officials said effective adoption of the Livestock Information Management System will significantly reduce stock theft, strengthen outbreak response, enhance transparency across value chains and unlock new market opportunities through compliance with international animal health standards.
