Goat rearing helps women contribute to attainment of Vision 2030
WOMEN have since time immemorial occupied themselves with goat keeping as part of their daily household chores.
Goats and chickens were mainly kept for family consumption such that when there were visitors or if the family wanted meat, they were slaughtered even without the knowledge of the father.
Cattle were slaughtered for major events such as weddings, funerals and other traditional ceremonies.
They were the major source of livelihood for many households where school fees and other expenses were paid using money from cattle sales.
Women found themselves rearing goats and chickens due to the fact that it is not as labour intensive as looking after cattle.
Tides have since turned however and women are now engaged in goat breeding to improve genetics and earnings as they are now taking it as a business.
This has seen women sustaining families through goat keeping — paying school fees and other family expenses singlehandedly.
Goat rearing is gaining momentum in Zimbabwe and beyond following the growing demand for goat meat and milk.
Health consciousness, leather and milk value chain including religious festivities are among the major factors pushing demand for chevon (goat meat) in Zimbabwe and abroad with goat meat producers struggling to keep up with demand.
On the other hand, goat milk is said to be a good element to add into the manufacturing of skin care products.
Cheese production has also seen demand surging both locally and internationally.
Additionally, goat farming is said to be a fast way to improve livelihoods in rural areas as it is quicker to increase in numbers than cattle, which in some instances takes more than 12 months to calve.
Experts in goat farming say with improved goat genetics, a farmer can have more than four kids from one goat per year, which will take about six months for it to grow and give a farmer about US$200 per goat.
A goat farmer from Fort Rixon, Insiza District, Matabeleland South Province, Mrs Sifiso Agbetorwoka who has more than 500 goats said when she discovered that goats thrive in the area, she grabbed the opportunity to contribute towards economic growth.
Mrs Agbetorwoka operates a thriving business at Bulembe Farm and is also the chairperson of the Goat Breeders Association of Zimbabwe (GOBAZ).
She started with only nine goats in 2019 and today the herd has grown to more than 500.
“As women, we need to learn how to take advantage of our country’s natural resources. Matabeleland, for example, is a goat area but not many of us know or understand how we can harness that to start businesses and create employment for the youths. I feel very excited to be part of the women that will be growing our country’s economy,” said Mrs Agbetorwoka.
She said as a woman, she faces a lot of challenges in her business which include access to finance needed for buying breeding bucks and improving infrastructure for her business to grow.
Goat farming and the whole livestock sector needs nurturing, which is one of many qualities that women possess hence for Mrs Agbetorwoka who is a retired nurse, the job perfectly suits her.
Another woman into goat farming, Mrs Bester Dube from Umguza District, said women are into the trade simply because they have discovered that it is one of the easiest livestock rearing projects, which is not labour intensive.
“Long ago, men would concentrate on cattle rearing and women were into goats and chickens. But nowadays, goat production is now commercialised and women have found a lucrative opportunity. It is much easier to maintain and breed goats than cattle,” said Mrs Dube.
She said commercial goat farming is still a new thing to women hence there is need for information sharing.
“Women are engaged in a lot of workshops to enhance knowledge on commercial goat keeping. Some of us come from a rural background, we used to see goat rearing where we did not need all these vaccinations and other things so we do not have much information when it comes to the maintenance of a healthy goat for commercial purposes. We need that information to be accessible,” she said.
Mrs Dube said women can contribute immensely towards attainment of an upper middle-income economy through goat production and other farming activities.
“The contribution of women in goat farming towards an upper middle-income economy can be effective if women get support because goat rearing needs proper infrastructure to reduce kid mortality rate and to keep goats healthy. We also need water especially for those who are in new resettlements where water is scarce,” she said.
Goats are one of the greatest potential export products with global sources such as the United Arab Emirates being the largest source market.
According to the Trademap, a trade statistics tool by the International Trade Centre (ITC), the country’s foreign currency earnings from goat meat products rose from US$203 000 in 2019 to US$257 000 in 2020.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT) highlights that Africa is the second largest producer of goat meat in the world after Asia.
Zimbabwe Women in Agribusiness programmes coordinator Mrs Nomhle Bangani said this business gives women an opportunity to participate in the production and export of goats.
“For women to contribute to an upper middle-class society, we need to work towards export trade. Exporting goats is an opportunity for women. Rearing goats is simple for most women. Goat rearing has always been there but there has been some improvements in the business,” said Mrs Bangani.
“Women are embracing agriculture as a business. We have started a goat out grower scheme for women where we are starting with five indigenous ones. We have an innovation hub where there are exotic breeds including Boar and Kalahari which we cross breed to improve the size and the quality of the meat. So, a lot of communal women have started to embrace it. They really love it because it is not new to them and we are using organic feed which makes it easy for them.”
Mrs Bangani said they are working with ZimTrade to offer advice on the goat value chain.
In some districts including Binga, women have found a source of livelihood through goat keeping.
The Zimbabwe Agricultural Growth Programme Value Chain Alliance for Livestock Upgrading and Empowerment (Value) project has managed to enhance profit margins of goat farmers by facilitating direct marketing to licensed independent butcheries.
This saw a total of 40 000 kilogrammes of goat meat being sold to butcheries by registered producers last year.