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Michelle Moyo, [email protected]

LIVESTOCK experts have urged farmers to destock non-productive animals in a bid to reduce high losses likely to be caused by the El Nino-induced drought and channel funds raised to buy stockfeed for the remaining animals.

Due to the low rains received so far, the country is likely to experience serious pasture and water shortages.

In an update, Ministry of Agriculture Department of Livestock Production and Development Specialist, Mr Wisdom Gunzvenzve, said farmers should sell non-productive animals and remain with productive ones such as breeding animals such as heifers and calves as part of livestock management. 

He noted that El Nino weather patterns are likely to cause water shortages for livestock, especially cattle.

“Farmers should look at de-stocking. Some farmers have non-productive livestock which we should try to sell so that we save for productive animals. By productive animals, we are looking at breeding ones, the heifers and calves and animals involved in draught power. It is advisable to destock and we save only productive animals,” he said.

The money realised can be used to buy stockfeed for remaining animals.”

“Sometimes livestock farmers fail to realise how rich they are in terms of conversion of livestock into monetary terms. There are things they can do on their own while the Government continues to save the livestock sector.”

As part of efforts to grow the national herd, the Government, under the Second Republic, has put in place measures to boost the production of livestock in both communal and resettlement areas.

The Livestock Growth Plan (2021-2025) is one of the five anchors of the agriculture and food system transformation strategy.

It envisages growth in the livestock sub-sector to reach US$1,9 billion by 2025, from the current US$900 million.

President Mnangagwa launched the Presidential Livestock Scheme as part of efforts to grow the livestock sub-sector.

Under the scheme, farmers are receiving legume seeds, fertilisers and forage sorghum among other inputs. Distribution of the inputs is set to boost the creation of forage banks for improved animal nutrition. Government also rolled out the Presidential Tick Grease Programme which seeks to curb tick-borne diseases, particularly theileriosis.

The programme is in line with the National Development Strategy 1 which prioritises animal health and production by strengthening farmer knowledge, skills in livestock production and health to enhance productivity.

In Zimbabwe, cattle are a common source of wealth and draught power and the Government estimates that about 90 percent of the country’s nearly 5,5 million cattle are owned by small-scale farmers.

Mr Gunzvenzve also said there is a need for farmers to reduce the distance covered by livestock to fetch water.

“The energy they would use to look for water is what they are supposed to be getting from pastures which are in short supply. We want to try to reduce the distance covered,” he said.

“We urge farmers in conjunction with other stakeholders to construct water troughs at existing community boreholes so that as we fetch water for domestic consumption our animals can drink as well,” he said. He said the Government was working on a long-term programme to drill 35  000 boreholes in the country.