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Nqobile Bhebhe, Senior Business Writer

Timely interventions by the government and farmers saved nearly 2.7 million cattle from dying due to the El Niño-induced drought,  Permanent Secretary of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri.

Speaking at the inaugural ZITF Livestock Conference in Bulawayo on Friday, Professor Jiri emphasised the need for Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North, and Masvingo to implement more effective strategies to minimize cattle losses in the region.

“So whatever we did in this past season saved 2.7 million cattle from death. Of course, we lost some cattle, but not close to two million,” he said.

He further elaborated, “When we put everything from January 2024 to December, we lost almost 50,000 cattle. So if you took the 50,000 over 2.7 million, you will find that the government interventions and the farmer interventions really saved the day.”

In response to the El Niño-induced drought, Professor Jiri outlined several key government initiatives aimed at mitigating its impact on livestock.

He told delegates that establishing  of 1,620 Drought Mitigation Ward Centres (DMWC) to support farmers, constructing water troughs for 10,000 VBUs to ensure livestock access to water, and launching a blitz-borehole drilling program to provide water for both humans and livestock nationwide saved livestock deaths.

He added that mplementing mass vaccination and deworming campaigns to improve livestock survival rates was another measure used.

“In collaboration with development partners, we have implemented these feed intervention strategies, providing vital support such as hay, silage, and beef survival meal for livestock sustenance,” he said.

The targeted feed supplementation program prioritises vulnerable districts, particularly within Matabeleland.

So far, 9,665MT out of 15,000MT of maize silage and 280MT out of 600MT of wheat silage have been distributed to distressed wards.

Professor Jiri noted the significance of hosting the inaugural Livestock Conference in Matabeleland, describing the region as “the heart of livestock production in Zimbabwe.”