Artificial insemination boon to small-scale farmers

SMALL-SCALE livestock farmers in Beitbridge district have applauded the Government and its partners for rolling out an Artificial Insemination (AI) programme that has helped most of them to restock their cattle following years of devastating droughts.

Between 2019 and 2021 the district lost close to 5 000 cattle due to poverty deaths linked to drought.

At that time, the Government in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) started rolling out a programme to boost the quality of livestock in the area.

This was done under the PROGRESS consortium that was spear headed by the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

A total of 1200 cows were administered with high quality Tuli, Boran, and Brahman cattle breeds between 2019 and 2021 and a total of 800 calves were realised.

In June this year another 500 cows received the shots and the conceiving rate is still at monitoring stage.

The programme’s thrust was to promote resilience through introducing bloodlines from beef breeds that are hard in terms of diseases and nutritional needs.

“Being a beneficiary of the recently completed phase AI, it has greatly improved my breed. I now have a tinge of pure Tuli breed on my herd,” said Mr Oscar Singo of Langeni area in Ward 5.

“This programme has produced the right results because it has less error compared to when your cows are on heat/ready for pregnancy and you have no bull, it’s a loss.

“But with this programme, it goes according to plan, and you have the breed that you desire, rather than wait for your cow to mate with any bull and some of poorest genes”.

Ms Eunice Mudau of Ward 15 in the Mapayi area applauded the Second Republic for rolling out people-oriented policies that help empower people from the grassroots level.

She said the artificial insemination program was crucial in that it produces good breeds with less costs.

Another livestock farmer, Mr Oscar Chiromo of Lutumba area, Ward 5 said the program was good in controlling diseases and that the probabilities of the cattle conceiving after the shots were very high.

“This is a very good programme that our government is carrying out, especially when we look at the plight of communal farmers,” he said.

“You will note that one needs at least US$5 000 and above to buy a better breed bull and this is beyond the reach of many small-scale farmers.

“Buying the artificial insemination shots is relatively within reach and it also minimises the cost of maintaining a high-quality bull in the communal grazing lands”.

Ms Patience Moyo of Masera, Ward 8 said the program had given most women who are in some instances low-income earners an opportunity to improve the quality of their cattle at affordable fees.

An average shot of the Boran, Tuli, Nkoni and Brahman is sold for US$5 to US$30 on the local markets compared to bulls which can be sold from US$5 000 to US$15 000.

“As women in farming we see this as a positive development that closes the gap between men and women farmers.

“It has been a disadvantage for women to be at par with men when it came to choosing and affording good cattle breeds. This technological development makes the ground even and everyone can afford the shots”, said Ms Moyo.

Ms Praise Matizirofa, from the Mzingwane area in Ward 6 said smallest scale livestock farmers were now warming up to the program considering that livestock production was one of the major economic anchors in Beitbridge.

A local agronomist, Mr Ntando Ndlovu said, “It was important for framers to take advantage of the program which helps control diseases, improves animal genetics, birth weight, and natural weight of the calves.

“Some of the high-quality breeds grow fast and fetch good money on the local, market compared to ordinary cattle breeds”.

Beitbridge’s director of agricultural development and advisory services, Mr Masauso Mawocha said they had also included the beef animals of non-descript breeds due to uncontrolled breeding in communal areas, though the genetic makeup is predominantly of indigenous animals.

“Over 500 farmers (including the youths) around Beitbridge district have been sensitised on to take up the technology as a business post-program life,” said the official.

He said they had also trained some farmers from all rural wards on breeding bull management, nutrition, fertility, (bull) management during droughts, disease control, and prevention.

“We encourage the livestock farmers to practice good animal husbandry initiatives such as dehorning, castration, proper dosing, effective tick control, and proper livestock feeding regimes.

“They must also consider embracing the introduction of breeds which have weight such as Tuli, Boran, and Brahman though Brahman is susceptible to drought,” said Mr Mawocha.