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THE Government plans to repossess underutilised ranches including those occupied by politicians to ensure their fruitful utilisation for the benefit of the livestock industry, an official has said.

Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Deputy Minister responsible for livestock, Cde Paddy Zhanda, told livestock farmers in Ngwaladi, Nkayi, on Friday that all State land should be utilised productively for the benefit of the economy.

“We want to take back the underutilised ranches and those taken by politicians in Matabeleland North for the benefit of the livestock industry,” said Cde Zhanda.

“We’re working on that from a policy point of view.”

He said the productive utilisation of the ranches would buttress the turnaround of the Cold Storage Company (CSC), which is a strategic pillar in the country’s economy.

The parastatal owns large swathes of farmland across provinces part of which has been leased to private players while some has been occupied by individuals.

The Deputy Minister also condemned the centralisation of cattle sales and said going forward the Government would not allow cattle buyers to transport beasts from districts to urban centres for slaughter.

“This willy-nilly movement of cattle across the country from remote areas to towns is fuelling the spread of foot and mouth disease.

“Cattle should be fattened and slaughtered here in Nkayi and be transported anywhere as meat,” said Zhanda.

“Why should we create jobs elsewhere because of centralisation? Why should we have meat from Harare going to Victoria Falls? Don’t wait for foreigners to set up abattoirs for you.”

He challenged business people and entrepreneurs in Nkayi to establish local abattoirs, which would provide a ready competitive market for livestock farmers.

“No one should come here to buy your cattle for less and take them to Bulawayo. Let us promote decentralisation by establishing feedlots and selling points here,” said the Deputy Minister.

He urged farmers in Matabeleland to plant small grains in view of the climatic changes that have resulted in low rainfall patterns in the past few years.

Zhanda said the Government was mobilising funding to construct more dams and equipment for a nationwide de-siltation programme on existing dams.

He said this effort was directed at improving water sources for purposes of promoting irrigation farming that would boost food security and nutrition cluster under Zim-Asset.