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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
IN a huge boost to livestock production in the country and across the Southern African region, an animal Gene Bank laboratory has been established at the Matopos Research Institute, about 30km from Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, to aid preservation and conservation of indigenous breeds through artificial insemination.

This is seen as a major milestone for the livestock value chain, a critical source of livelihood for many households in the southern part of the country.

Matopos Research Institute already operates a regional crop Gene Bank, which serves as a bio-reservoir for sorghum, pearl millet, chickpea, pigeonpea, groundnut and finger millet, which are best suited for semi-arid cropping regions in Southern Africa.

Government, in partnership with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has established the new animal Gene Bank facility to capacitate the research institute to play a leading role in generating and sustaining quality breeds for bulls, thereby ensuring increased productivity.

Hopes are high that the new facility will also provide a platform for livestock farmers in and outside the country to preserve their breeds in case of natural disasters such as drought and diseases.

Breeds that are being preserved at the Gene Bank laboratory comprise adaptable cattle species such as the African Tuli, Nguni, Afrikanda and Brahman.

The Gene Bank laboratory was established under the Building Climate Resilience of Vulnerable Agricultural Livelihoods in Southern Africa Programme, which is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in partnership with Green Climate Fund with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) being the implementing partner.

The development places Zimbabwe, which recently took over the chair of SADC at the centre of influencing regional livestock and crop production, thereby contributing immensely to its economic transformation.

The Gene Bank is expected to provide for the harvesting of around 1 500 to 3 000 semen straws per bull per season for artificial insemination. Under natural mating, a bull can only service around 25 to 30 animals per season.

Semen will be collected from bulls and then checked for quality. If it meets the required specifications the semen is processed and preserved for use in future. The semen is then stored in straws and frozen and preserved in liquid nitrogen. This allows the semen to be preserved for years.

Artificial insemination is the cheapest method the country can adopt to improve the national herd as buying bulls can be expensive for farmers who are not able to buy the best breeds.

Artificial insemination of cattle is a technique by which semen from a bull is artificially introduced into a cow’s reproductive tract for the purpose of conception.

Official data from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development indicate that Zimbabwe’s national herd in 2021 stood at 5,5 million.

Following the launch of the Livestock Growth Plan in 2020, the Government targets a national herd of six million by 2025.

Speaking recently during a tour of the facility, Matopos Research Institute laboratory research officer, Ms Theresa Rukuni, said the facility will play a crucial role in assisting farmers to preserve their breeds. She said there are unforeseen disasters such as drought and diseases, which can threaten the sustainability of animals. Ms Rukuni said farmers can approach the institution to have their breeds preserved.

“As an institution we have been keeping our bulls in a natural environment and we saw it critical that we conserve these breeds in an environment that we can control,” she said.

“These breeds are good quality bulls with quality traits, which is critical for farmers in order to improve their herds. It’s critical that we conserve these breeds by storing the genetic material in a laboratory.
“In case there are natural disasters such as drought and diseases, which might threaten the sustainability of the animals, preserving their genetic will help to sustain them.

“Apart from us collecting semen from within the farm, we also have farmers around who have bulls and want them to be preserved. A bull can cost up to US$4  000 and this process will help farmers to protect their investment,” said Ms Rukuni.

Matopos Research Institute research officer for the beef section, Ms Sikhulile Siziba, said this programme will go a long way in improving production and productivity under the livestock sector thereby enhancing food security.

She said at the moment they were working on the institute’s breeds and then they will engage the community.

Ms Siziba said indigenous breeds adapt easily to the environmental changes, pests and are disease resistant and as such survive under minimum supplementation while providing quality beef hence the need to preserve their genetics.

Green Climate Fund project climate smart agriculture expert, Dr Nelson Chanza, said the facility was established as part of efforts to address barriers faced by farmers in adapting their farming practices to climatic disturbances and other shocks.

“The GCF project is working with agricultural research institutions and colleges found in the three provinces where the project is being implemented, which is Matabeleland South, Manicaland and Masvingo Provinces,” he said.

“These innovation platforms have been set up to address barriers that farmers face in adapting their farming practices to climatic disturbances and other shocks.

Under this project, we are looking at these innovation platforms as participatory places that are created for the joint analysis of problems and the collective identification for solutions for farmers to be able to effectively transform their subsistence oriented farming to climate resilient and sustainable livelihoods,” said Dr Chanza.

He said barriers being addressed include limited access to climate resilient quality seeds, access to climate resilient livestock breeds, poor nutrition triggered by drought, degradation of landscapes and market access.

The Building Climate Resilience of Vulnerable Agricultural Livelihoods in Southern Africa programme buttresses the Government’s achievements of priorities outlined in its National Determined Contributions (NDC) and climate change plans and strategies including strengthening management of water resources and irrigation in the face of climate change.

The programme, which started in June 2020, will run up until June 2027, being implemented in 15 districts in three provinces.

In Matabeleland South the project is being implemented Umzingwane, Mangwe, Insiza, Matobo, Gwanda and Beitbridge. It will benefit an estimated 2,3 million people across the three provinces. — @DubeMatutu