Story by Courage Bushe
IN a bid to address the challenges and ring-fence the community’s source of wealth in line with Zimbabwe’s Livestock Recovery Plan, a sustainable community dipping model was launched this Thursday in the Mapanzure area of Zvishavane.
The sustainable community dipping model is part of the government and its development partners initiative to safeguard the national herd and enhance livelihoods in farming communities.
The programme seeks to address a number of challenges that are constraining livestock production, productivity, and profitability.
“This is a good initiative for us communal farmers. It is good in the sense that we have been given a good platform by the government to dip our herd timeously without encountering problems, and we are really grateful to the central government for this,” a communal farmer said.
“Prior to this model, we had a lot of challenges, such as death of animals, and the production levels were very low. We want to thank the government and its partners for coming up with this initiative because it will help us fight the popular January disease. Also, the development partners here present will help us to improve the quality of our herd,” a livestock farmer said.
Local traditional leaders and development partners are upbeat that the programme will play a crucial role in revitalising the livestock sector.
“We want to thank the government and its partners for coming on board at such a crucial time. This initiative will help our local communities to play its part in meeting the national herd target,” Chief Mapanzure said.
“As Mimosa, we are happy to be here witnessing this auspicious event. We heeded the government’s call of embracing government projects, and we managed to revamp this dip tank. We also managed to donate 600 quality bulls across the Zvishavane District so as to enhance livestock production,” Mimosa Mining Company’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Elizabeth Nerwande said.
The Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Honourable Davis Marapira reiterated that the government remains committed to promoting sustainable practices in livestock production.
“The Ministry is committed to promoting sustainable practices that protect our environment while ensuring the long-term viability of livestock farming. Together, we can build a vibrant livestock industry that not only benefits individuals but also contributes to the overall prosperity of our nation,” Honourable Marapira said.
The government is on course to develop a US$1.9 billion livestock economy by the end of 2025.
