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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu , Gwanda Correspondent
LANDS, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Perrance Shiri has said Government is working on modalities to introduce other schemes into the Command Livestock programme.

Speaking in Gwanda yesterday during the handover of 347 heifers to 92 farmers in Matabeleland South Province, Minister Shiri urged beneficiaries of the programme to fully utilise agricultural programmes that were being rolled out by Government.

He said the Command Livestock programme would soon be expanded.

“Though the Command Livestock programme has been characterised by the distribution of beef heifers it aims to include dairy cattle, piggery, goats, sheep and poultry. We are busy working out modalities of introducing these other schemes.

“I’m aware that the poultry scheme has started taking foot albeit at a slow pace,” he said.

“As farmers you must take advantage of these various schemes in order to create wealth for yourselves and the nation at large. Let’s take care of these cattle and ensure they are insured in case of mishaps. Last year some farmers lost a lot of cattle to theriliosis which is a disease spread by brown ticks that become active during the rainy season.”

He said plans were underway to launch the Command Livestock programme in the remaining six rural provinces as it has so far been implemented in Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North Provinces.

Minister Shiri said the process of identifying and registering farmers was underway in the other six rural provinces.

He said a new cattle purchasing system was going to be introduced where farmers were going to use cards to buy cattle.

The Minister said under the new system farmers will be able to personally identify the cattle they want to buy, decide where to buy and negotiate where to buy.

Minister Shiri said under this new system government departments and Command Livestock staff will be overseers.

He urged farmers to put in place measures to protect their cattle in preparation for the El Nino phenomenon.

Minister Shiri urged farmers to introduce supplementary feeding, water harvesting, controlled grazing, grass harvesting and in worst case scenarios, destock, while their livestock still had value.

“Let me also remind you that these cattle are not coming as free handouts, at the end of five years we expect farmers to pay for the heifers received. Therefore farmers have to adhere to the best animal husbandry practices,” he said.

Speaking at the same event, Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Cde Abednico Ncube said the Command Livestock programme was set to bring huge changes within the province as livestock production is the main pillar of economic development.

He said the province will soon resume beef exports as the programme will improve the quality and quantity.

Cde Ncube appealed to benefiting farmers to do their best to maximise production for the development of the province and the nation.

Matabeleland South provincial crops and livestock specialist, Mr Mkhunjulelwa Ndlovu said yesterday’s distribution of cattle was the fourth since the programme was launched early this year.

He said 9 253 farmers across the province were registered under the programme. Mr Ndlovu said since the inception of the programme 1 738 cattle had been distributed so far with 435 beneficiaries.

The Command Livestock programme was launched in Matabeleland South Province in February at Insiza by Vice President, General Constatino Chiwenga.—@DubeMatutu