Story by Lisa Masuku-Kurira
THE livestock sector has been identified as the cornerstone of the country’s agricultural economy.
This came out during the official opening of the inaugural Livestock Conference this Friday, which brought together industry players and government officials.
In his keynote address, the Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Honourable Davis Marapira said the livestock sector is the cornerstone of the country’s agriculture industry.
“In 2021, President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched the Agriculture Food Systems Transformation Strategy, in which the Livestock Growth Plan was one the key anchor plans, designed to drive and transform the growth of the livestock sector.”
The conference also focused on scaling-up livestock production and ways to revitalise the beef industry through sustainable production practices and market diversification.
“We have to come up with innovative ways to boost our beef industry so that we can enter the EU market,” a farmer said.
“The time for firefighting the effects of climate change is over. We have to work towards regaining our status as the breadbasket of Africa,” another farmer stated.
The livestock sector growth plan is targeting to establish a US$2 billion sector by the end of this year.
