‘Adopt drought-resilient livestock breeds’
FARMERS have been urged to embrace sustainable breeding of drought- and disease-resistant livestock to combat the effects of climate change.
This came out during a three-day National Climate Action in Livestock Conference held in Mazowe, Mashonaland Central Province, last week. Livestock farmers have predominantly focused on breeding exotic breeds of cattle, such as the Brahman, and other animals whose genetics make them grow fast.
These breeds, however, require intensive dipping and vaccination.
Experts believe indigenous breeds such as Mashona, Tuli and Nkone were key to growing a climate-smart national herd for sustainable livestock production.
They perform well under harsh conditions, for example, during droughts.
Director of the department of livestock research in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Mr Andrew Chamisa said: “Our Mashona breed requires little attention, but can survive on little and even brown grass.
“In the absence of grass, it can also survive on leaves and little water. It is a tried-andtested breed that resists diseases; it produces an oily substance that kills parasites, so it is the kind of cattle that can be kept in a rural home.
“When managed well, its beef output contends with all the other larger exotic breeds.”
Communities and landscape resilience consultant Ms Astrid Huelin said rearing exotic breeds was costly and could damage the environment.
“Zimbabwe needs to take a leaf from Zambian farmers,” she said.
“I know farmers who raise Nkone breeds that have gone for close to four years without dipping. They have the same diseases as ours here, like theileriosis (January disease), and on top of that, they also have African animal trypanosomiasis, but their herd is growing with no artificial spraying.”
Before Government embarked on a programme to rehabilitate community dip-tanks, she said, indigenous cattle breeds continued to thrive, which is testament to their resilience. ◆