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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau 

SMALL ruminants, especially goats and sheep have the potential to improve the lives of many people in semi-arid regions like Beitbridge where livestock production is one of the major economic drivers.

This was said by Beitbridge West MP Ruth Maboyi during a community training session on life skills and implementation of sustainable development programmes at Malusungane, Ward 11 recently.

The legislator said small ruminantswere drought-tolerant as most of themsurvived on browsing rather than grazing like cattle.

She said it was important for Government through its various arms to capacitate goat and sheep farmers with the requisite resources and skills for them to apply business models to make livestock production profitable from grassroots level.

MP Maboyi said there was also a strong need to create market linkages for small ruminants locally, regionally and internationally.

“We are in the midst of a devastating drought where people have lost quite a huge number of cattle.

“However, we still have another resource in goats and sheep which people can use toturn around their lives socially and economically.

“These animals can resist drought, considering that they rely mostly on browsing as compared to cattle,” she said.

“Beitbridge has a lot of goat breeds which are sought in different markets. What we only need is for Government through its various arms to capacitate the small-scale farmers with knowledge, vaccines, and market linkages for them to realise maximum benefits.”

The politician said now that Government was implementing the devolution concept, it was critical for it and other financial institutions to extend loans or resources on the livestock production sector.

She said crop production could not do well under the prevailing rainfall patterns and hence more attention should be consolidated on known economic drivers in the area.

The legislator said it was pleasing that many members of the community were taking up the life skills training being rolled out by Zanu-PF through its Women’s League in most rural areas.

Beitbridge district has an estimated 160 000 cattle, 200 000 goats (mainly Matabele, Boer and Kalahari breeds), 120 000 sheep (Doper breed), 70 000 donkeys, 40 000 dogs and 300 000 poultry.