VP Chiwenga to unveil livestock revival project

VICE President General Constantino Chiwenga (Retired) is today expected to launch the livestock revitalisation programme in Insiza.

The Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) has partnered Zimplats to roll out the programme, which will start running in Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North, before being taken to other provinces.

Matabeleland South Provincial Administrator Ms Sithandiwe Ndumo-Ncube yesterday confirmed that VP Chiwenga would launch the programme.

“We are excited about the livestock revitalisation programme because it’s important for our province,” she said. “VP Chiwenga will be our guest of honour.

“The launch will take place at Tsomo Dip Tank, Village 13 in Insiza District.”

ZAS head of programmes and public affairs Ms Roberta Katunga said the programme, which is also meant to promote sustainable agricultural activities, will complement Government’s Command Livestock programme.

“Following national consensus on the need to revitalise communal livestock and production to improve livelihoods and mitigate climate change, Zimplats has partnered ZAS with support from the Ministries of Mines and Mining Development and Lands, Agriculture

Extend inputs scheme, say cotton farmers GOVERNMENT should extend the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme for cotton farmers beyond this season to allow them to recover from viability challenges that have plagued the industry in successive years, legislators heard.

Cotton Company of Zimbabwe officials and cotton farmers told a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture and Resettlement in Muzarabani, Mashonaland Central Province on Thursday, that Government should extend the presidential input scheme under which farmers had been getting free inputs for the past three years.

The scheme for cotton farmers was supposed to end this season. and Rural Resettlement in a rural capacity building programme,” said Ms Katunga.

“The programme will entail the creation of livestock incubation centres in Matabeleland North and South and Mhondoro, where training in sustainable livestock rearing and crop production will be undertaken.

“Thereafter, the programme will be taken to the rest of the country.”

Ms Katunga said the first phase would target insemination of 6 000 semen straws to 3 600 cattle.

She said this should potentially produce 1 800 bulls and 1 800 heifers.

“The second phase will increase the total semen straws to 16 000,” she said. “Once successfully running, the programme is expected to be self-sustaining in the long term.”

Ms Katunga said artificial insemination had to be conducted carefully to be successful, hence it would be done clinically.

She said the programme would also empower communal farmers with better livestock rearing practices to ensure sustainability.

“The proposed initiative seeks to introduce livestock production methodologies that support general agricultural production, enhance environmental farming practices and deliberately grow an improved national herd through a nationwide insemination programme,” Ms Katunga said.

Cottco managing director Mr Pious Manamike told the committee chaired by Gokwe Nembudziya MP Cde Justice Mayor Wadyajena (ZANU-PF) that the cotton industry had not yet fully recovered for it to be weaned from Government assistance.

“The Presidential input scheme was supposed to run for three years and for the past two years it was a difficult for us as Cottco and it is only this season that we have begun to pick up the pieces,” he said. “It is our appeal that Government extend the scheme.”

Mr Manamike said the cotton industry received a battering for successive years, hence it would take longer for it to fully recover.

He said one of the major challenge affecting big companies like Cottco was side-marketing by contracted farmers.