Story by Tafara Chikumira
GOVERNMENT and development partners have come together to craft a roadmap to promote the production of livestock that will enhance the quality of beef across the country.
The mitigatory measures are part of the broader plans by the Second Republic in its agriculture revival efforts, which have seen the establishment of business units coming with a borehole and some cattle drinking pens across the country.
“We have stakeholders who have come on board to help in building resilience like artificial insemination. Stakeholders have also come to help in the fodder sub-space production. These include the REAFF which is the Resilient Africa Feed Fodder Systems project by AU, AFDB, GCF, FAO, and WFP who have also offered drought mitigation support and development partners who have also sponsored survival feed distribution during the last drought season,” ARDAS’ Director for Department of Livestock Production and Development Dr Sithokozile Sibanda said.
Prominent Gweru cattle breeder, Mr Phillip Reed took some time to educate livestock farmers on best farming practices that can keep the hopes of livestock production alive with the aim of maintaining Zimbabwe’s position as home to quality beef products.
“I want to encourage farmers to try and put as much as they can into their animals. It is a long-term gain. These animals are a result of 15 years of heavy selection and it hasn’t been easy. If you use good genetics and you look after them, you get good cattle,” he said.
Government is cognisant of the challenges affecting the livestock sector with plans afoot to look into some of the proposals tabled to ease the bottlenecks affecting returns in the industry.
“I would like to commend the Zimbabwe Beef Producers’ Society for its tireless efforts in advocating for the interests of beef producers. Your efforts with government departments have been instrumental in addressing critical issues affecting the industry. Your successful lobbying for the removal of 15 percent VAT on live animal sales in 2024 is a milestone achievement and I assure you of government support as you push for the removal of VAT on beef in 2025,” Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Honourable Davis Marapira said.
Government launched the Livestock Recovery and Growth Plan a couple of years ago, with a target to grow the national herd from 5,5 million in 2019 to six million at the end of this year.
