Farmers called upon to approach cattle ranching as a serious business

FARMERS must approach cattle ranching as a serious business that can play an important role in the turnaround of agriculture in the country.

Zimbabwe National Farmers Union provincial chairman for Matabeleland South and chairperson of Council of Farmers Unions Mr Mcebisi Ndlovu said farmers must be equipped with proper skills in cattle ranching for them to grow their businesses.

He was speaking last week during a cattle breed workshop organised by Caman Brahmans in conjunction with Zimbabwe Brahman Breeders Association and Ruvale Brahmans at a Bulawayo hotel.

“The aim is to equip upcoming farmers with new breeding techniques to improve the quality of their herds and to equip them with management skills of their farming enterprises. The approach of these workshops is to view farming as a business. It should never be a hobby, but a money generating enterprise.

“We aim at educating Zimbabwean farmers that the Brahman is very suitable for the Zimbabwean environment. It is tolerant to heat and drought, therefore, it is a high performing animal in our given environment.

“We want to make farmers realise that if cattle breeding is done correctly, it brings money. There is a lot of money in cattle breeding which the farmers should take advantage of,” said Mr Ndlovu who is also a Caman Brahmans Breeder.

In an interview, a top breeder based in South Africa, Mr Jan Van Zyl said Zimbabwe and South African farmers must share knowledge about cattle breeding.

“We are glad to share our knowledge with farmers as this will convince them to look at cattle breeding in another way. If you want to make profit, keep your animals in a good condition, take care of them, love them and doing this will bring progress,” he said.

He urged breeders in Zimbabwe to desist from importing animals from the United States of America or Australia as they might fail to adapt to local conditions.