Zimbabwe steps up bid to drive growth in livestock sector
EFFORTS to improve the livestock sector continue to gather traction with the Government continuing to give maximum support to initiatives that are aimed at boosting productivity as the country moves to drive growth in livestock production.
Government is expecting the livestock industry to grow to US$3,4 billion by 2025 after the sector made positive strides in improving productivity and combating cattle mortality following the outbreak of tick-borne diseases which ravaged almost half a million of cattle since 2016.
The sector is also targeting US$2billion by 2025. In 2021 the livestock industry was worth US$1,1billion and now its US$1,5 billion, a 36 percent growth.
In 2020, Government approved the Livestock Recovery and Growth Plan (2021-2026), whose main thrust is to put in place solid interventions to address livestock production and productivity issues that lay a good foundation for the livestock sector to assume its prominent role in transforming farmers’ livelihoods and providing the required raw materials for agriculture-led industrial development, among other things.
These will culminate in an increase in livestock production and productivity, strengthened animal disease surveillance and control systems.
Government has also implemented efforts to protect the national herd from tick-borne diseases that have killed nearly 500 000 cattle in the rainy seasons over the past few years.
Zimbabwe is moving ahead on several fronts to fight tick-borne diseases by building, rebuilding and renovating dip tanks as well as manufacturing vaccines.
It has also accelerated plans to build the national herd to six million in 2025 in line with the country’s agricultural growth recovery plan to meet national demand for meat and dairy products, and resume export trade.
This requires not just breeding more cattle, but also ensuring that none are killed by disease.
Government has set a target of 6 million by 2025 and currently the national herd stands at 5,6 million and various measures have been put in place to improve the quality of livestock including artificial insemination which involves cross breeding with semen from selected quality bulls and vaccination programmes.
A blitz tick-grease programme under the Presidential Inputs Scheme has also been a major boost in the fight against January disease and the programme will continue this season.
Farmers are also participating in the rehabilitation of all non-functional dip tanks.
Growth of the livestock sector is currently being stifled by the high prevalence of livestock diseases, particularly tick-borne diseases.
The presence of these diseases and the perceived risk from the emerging diseases that have potential to decimate the sector are a cause for concern, hence the need for improved disease surveillance, management and awareness initiatives.
Enforcement of dipping across all farming sectors, including commercial farms and establishment and maintenance of infrastructure and equipment that include drilling of boreholes for water supply to dip tanks and rehabilitation of damaged dip tanks to ensure most farmers have access to the most cost effective tick and tick-borne disease control infrastructure.
The Government also intends to construct 5 000 dip tanks by 2025.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Prof Obert Jiri indicated that there is great improvement in the livestock sector adding that it is growing at good rate - two to three percent per year.
‘’Livestock agricultural growth plan has been reviewed to US$3,4 billion. In 2021 it sought a $2 billion livestock economy by 2025 and was reviewed upwards.
“So the livestock economy contributes 20 percent of the Gross Domestic Products (GDP).
“We need to make sure that we grow our national herd to grow our livestock economy. Our livestock has been growing since the advent of the rolling out of the Livestock recovery growth plan. Mortality rate has gone down to 13 percent prior to 2020 and now its about 6 percent, that is cattle mortality rate per year ,’’ he said
In 2021, the January disease dropped by 47 percent, then the following year it dropped by 37 percent
Prof Jiri indicated that the ministry is promoting the production of small stock as part of the war chest to adapt to climate change, effects and vulnerabilities.
“We are promoting the production of goats and sheep so that at least we stand a chance and mitigate the vagaries of climate change.
“The small stock is climate smart. Under this we have the Presidential Goat Scheme and poultry programme. We are targeting 6 million herd by 2025. Our target is 8 million. We have particular programmes of trying to climate proof our livestock through the adoption and promotion of small stock,’’ he said.
Government was concerned with the poor performance of the livestock sector and it promulgated a blueprint to address all areas that were limiting growth.
Observed challenges were associated with animal health, sanitary and feed, safety issues, availability of adequate nutrition, genetics access to infrastructure suitable for accessing lucrative domestic, regional and international markets.
These challenges are responsible for the low off-take, low fertility, high mortality and morbidity, low carcass weight, poor quality and inability to effectively compete on the export market.
The goal is to reduce livestock mortality, for more productive livestock systems that are adapted to meet the incessant drought events caused by climate change.
Climate change has brought its own challenges to the livestock sector. There has been an increase in animal disease outbreaks, frequent droughts and floods.
Combating unregulated animal movement across and within districts has been a challenge.
The Government rehabilitated 453 dip tanks in 2022 and more than 400 last year.
The programme model encourages community participation for sustainability – with communities providing the labour while Government provides financial and materials support
In order to motivate workers all agricultural extension staff received motorbikes and are getting a monthly fuel allocation and this move is expected to increase their mobility whilst disseminating and imparting critical knowledge to farmers.
With all this, there is no doubt that the country’s livestock sector is poised for massive growth.