LIVINGSTONE MARUFU
The Treasury has released US$200m to livestock farmers in an effort to boost the country’s herd to 6m from 5.5m and revive the beef export market.
The government is also taking action to address the different herd-related issues, like feed availability, disease resistance, and genetic improvement.
Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion minister Professor Mthuli Ncube recently told Business Times that the government is committed to improve quality and quantity of the national herd.
“Resources have been made available to capacitate livestock farmers, with US$200m earmarked for beef and dairy production.
“Since suffering a sharp disease induced decline in 2019, the national cattle herd has steadily recovered, averaging 1.2% growth per annum since 2020,” Ncube said
“The recovery has also been supported by Government programs aimed at improving animal health management and diseases control.”
The government is supporting various initiatives towards livestock production through distribution of animal stocks to rural farmers as seed capital is transforming and empowering rural communities and will be expanded in 2024.
It is understood that the Zimbabwe Herd Book saw an increase of the number of pedigree breeders by 27 percent to reach 204 which is critical in enhancing the country’s herd genetics.
The government through the Presidential fodder bank programme has capacitated 300 000 rural smallholder cattle farmers this season with inputs to produce fodder across the country as part of efforts to climate proof the livestock subsector.
Ncube said the livestock department distributed a standard input package comprising of climate smart pasture options and climate smart feed options in a bid to promote on farm feed formulations to climate proof the livestock production subsector.
The programme is contributing towards herd building by eliminating cattle deaths during the dry season, improving carcass quality, carcass weight and improving conception rates in cows through maintenance of good body condition,” he said.
The programme is part of the Presidential Livestock input support scheme which is a set of timely intervention by the government to alleviate the scourge of hunger induced cattle deaths in order to maintain a healthy national herd.
The development comes as the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development initiated the Dip Resuscitating Programme in pursuit of improving basic dip tank infrastructure in the country, a move to protect animals against diseases.
