Prolonged dry spells root for Livestock deaths

FARMERS in the Midlands Province are grappling with a high livestock mortality rate of as a result of a prolonged dry spell that the province experienced for the greater part of the summer cropping season.

The dire situation was also exacerbated by veld fires that destroyed vast acres of grazing land during last year’s fire season.

Midlands provincial crop and livestock officer Mrs Madeline Magwenzi said a snapshot assessment by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement showed that Mberengwa, Zvishavane, Kwekwe and Gokwe North districts were the most affected.

Mrs Magwenzi said the province dispatched a team to conduct a crop and livestock assessment throughout the eight districts to ascertain the MBERENGWA villagers have appealed Government to consider introducing a cheaper public transport facility in their area, as transport operators are ripping them off by charging exorbitant fares.

Government recently introduced a public transport facility in cities and towns to cushion commuters who were being charged exorbitant fares by commuter omnibus operators.

The introduction of cheaper busses in Harare forced other private players to then reduce fares from $2,50 per trip to $1. In separate interviews, Mberengwa villagers said public transport was fast magnitude of the effects of the dry spell.

“We are starting to see the effects of drought,” she said. “Our livestock in the province is dying. A snapshot survey that we conducted in the province showed that Mberengwa, Zvishavane, Kwekwe and Gokwe North districts are the most affected.

“We do not have figures at the moment. However, as we speak, we are in Shurugwi doing a crop and livestock assessment. We are conducting the assessment throughout the province and we hope that we would have finished by end of the month.”

Mrs Magwenzi said the state of the crop was devastating and drought was looming.

“In terms of crops, our situation is bad,” she said. “It looks like we are going to have drought in some areas. Most crops on dry land are in a bad state. Although we received late rains,

Mberengwa villagers in need of cheaper transport

becoming a preserve for the elite in rural areas as most of them were now struggling to raise fares which were now pegged beyond their reach.

They said most of them were now resorting to walking long distances due to exorbitant fares. The villagers said for example, it now costs $30 one way trip to Gweru from Mataga Growth Point, a distance which used to cost only $10.

“The charges are even more when one is paying through One-wallet or Eco-cash. One needs at least $70 in his or her phone wallet to travel from Mataga Growth Point to Gweru by public transport,” said Mr Byron Ndlovu from Mataga. we feel that they cannot help because we are already past the planting season.”

Midlands provincial irrigation officer, Engineer Shingirirai Zano, said there are about 42 communal irrigation schemes in the province of which 35 were fully operational.

“As a province, we have 42 irrigation schemes,” he said. “Of the 42, 35 are fully operational and the remaining seven are operating below capacity due to various reasons.

“We have a programme under the Public Sector Investment Programme of revitalising all irrigation schemes in the province so that they operate at 100 percent capacity. Government also has a programme to irrigate 200 000 hectares per district as it moves to ensure food security in the country.

“The programme is ongoing. We will be rehabilitating some irrigation schemes while some will be upgraded.” Another villager, Mrs Steller Ndebele from Masase, said public transport now cost between $15 and $20 for a single trip from Mberengwa to Zvishavane.

Before the fares were increased, she it cost between $5 and $6 one way trip for the same distance. “These were the fares we were used to when travelling to Zvishavane, but now one has to part with at least $40 for a return journey,” she said. “We are the most vulnerable here in rural areas and when Government is introducing such measures like the recently introduced public transport system they should also consider people in rural areas,” she said. CONSTRUCTION of a state-of-the art national pharmaceutical warehouse for the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) in Harare is expected to start soon following the completion of preliminary ground work by the Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria.

In an interview with The Herald on the sidelines of a fact finding tour by members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care on Tuesday, NatPharm’s managing director Mrs Flora Sifeku said funding from the Global Fund enabled land clearing, construction of a sewer point and electricity installation, which was a prerequisite by the Chinese Government before they commence erection of buildings.

“This was a requirement of the Chinese Government. They said that we should do the land preparation and they will come and do the actual construction,” said Mrs Sifeku. She said the Chinese Government had since appointed a contractor and construction supervisor who were going to