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Nqobile Tshili, [email protected]

AT least six million hay bales have been produced through Government and private sector partnerships as part of a raft of measures to avert livestock poverty deaths with free distribution to farmers ongoing mainly in drier and most vulnerable provinces including Matabeleland region.

The intervention is expected to ease the strain on livestock farmers, especially Matabeleland South province, which has recently suffered the highest number of losses due to drought-related deaths followed by Matabeleland North, Masvingo and Midlands.

Hay bales are already in short supply in Bulawayo following poor rains in the last season amid concerns that some suppliers could be hoarding the product for speculative purposes.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development director responsible for livestock production and development, Dr Sithokozile Sibanda, said Government has already conducted a livestock drought assessment, which has shown that 80 percent of the wards in the country are feed insecure.

“The El-Nino drought has caused a lot of devastation and has exposed the animals to the risks that we are facing, which are leading to these deaths,” she said. 

“The major risk is water shortage and feed shortages because of the low rainfall patterns that we faced, the herbage did not recover or regenerate as it should have,” said Dr Sibanda.

“So, the Government has implemented a lot of measures to support the health and livelihood of animals. These hay bales are being distributed to vulnerable provinces of Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North, Masvingo and Midlands. Those are the four main vulnerable ones. We are also encouraging farmers to manage their stover.”

She said the ministry has established a national taskforce to manage the drought situation, and from their assessment, 80 percent of the country’s wards need stock feed.

“There are about 1 035 vulnerable wards out of 1 620 wards. That is about 80 percent of the wards vulnerable and those                                                                                                        wards are being prioritised at province level so that feed resources are distributed to the vulnerable wards through this structure that I have stated,” said Dr Sibanda.

She said it was difficult, however, to provide the actual figures of the feed that has been distributed as it is being distributed on a daily basis.

“So, the actual figure of resources is difficult to state because resources are going almost on a daily basis. Hay bales are being distributed and bales that have been produced are more than six million,” said Dr Sibanda. 

“Some are privately produced and some by the Government but all these hay bales are available to supply by the private sector.”

She said Government is getting its silage and hay bales from Dendairy Company in Kwekwe and the feed is being distributed to vulnerable communities.

“It’s not for sale but it’s a Government- initiated programme and it’s run by a command centre at ministry level. We are also getting molasses from Tongaat Hullett. Breweries are also approached to use their residues. 

“So, there are a lot of strategies being implemented because this is an emergency situation, this drought we are facing was last experienced more than 40 years ago,” Dr Sibanda.

She said the Government is also targeting harvesting the wheat stalk, which will be further treated before being supplied to vulnerable communities for feeding livestock.

 

Dr Sibanda said in order to address the water challenges, a whole-of-Government approach has been implemented where the Zimbabwe National Water Authority and the Ministry’s Department of Irrigation Development are drilling boreholes in communities.

She said farmers are also playing their part including using urea to treat their stover to improve its nutritional value while some farmers have used indigenous fruits described as bush meals to supplement stock feed.

Dr Sibanda said the ministry is also involved in the de-worming of their animals.

“De-worming of cattle is ongoing because if the cattle are holding a worm, the feeding efforts are challenged by worm burden. So, we have programmes of de-worming while also working with the Environmental Management Agency to manage the veld fires and preserve the remaining feed,” she said.

Dr Sibanda said she was aware that some of the farmers were hoarding hay bales for speculative behaviour, which is not encouraged.

“Other private players are holding onto those bays in anticipation of higher prices. They are in business, so they will be selling those hay bales and will sell them when the prices improve,” she said.

Commenting on the situation, a stock feed producing family from Umguza in Matabeleland North, Mr Eneas Dube and his wife Rita, said they last sold stock feed in March.

“We used to produce stock feed for sale but this year, due to low rainfalls, we stopped selling the feed in March. What we have is now just for our cattle. 

“We have also de-stocked most of the older cattle as we believe that they will struggle during this drought period,” said Mrs Dube.

She said they have resorted to using indigenous fruits as stock feed supplementary measures.