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Drought Threatens Livestock in Western Zimbabwe

Addy Gondo

   BULAWAYO, ZIMBABWE - Drought is taking a toll on Zimbabwe's
   agricultural sector, with farmers in the western region losing their
   livestock at an alarming rate.

   More than 4,500 cattle have died in Matabeleland South Province, a 500
   percent increase over last year, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and
   Rural Resettlement reported in early November.

   That figure may rise, because "there are still cases out there, which
   we don't have access to, which farmers have not reported," said the
   province's crop and livestock officer, Simangaliphi Ngwabi.

   Zimbabwe's beef industry had been rebounding from its collapse in the
   2000s, when it was devastated by hoof-and-mouth disease, according to
   the U.N. website [1]Africa Renewal.

   But that revival is threatened by drought, and the Meteorological
   Services Department doesn't see relief anytime soon.

   Muhle Masuku, a farmer and director of the beef startup Livestock Zone
   in Bulawayo, said traditional thinking about cattle is
   counterproductive when drought limits grass for grazing.

   "In our culture, livestock is a status symbol," meaning farmers might
   be reluctant to reduce herd size, Masuku said. He said farmers must
   strike a balance.

   Ngwabi, the provincial officer, encourages shifting to hardy cattle
   breeds that are better suited to a harsh environment.

   "We are recommending indigenous types of breeds-- like in Matabeleland
   South, we have the Tulis," she said of the medium-size beef cattle.
   "Those are the types we should be using. They are ideal because they
   adapted to our environment."

   Ngwabi also endorses raising small livestock such as goats, which can
   eat weeds and tough plants unappealing to cattle.

   Chris Grant, who farms in Nyamayendlovu and Gwanda, said it doesn't
   make sense for farmers to hold onto livestock and let herds starve,
   instead of selling some animals to buy food for the rest.

References

   1. file://localhost/tmp/lynxXXXX_Xae7a/un.org/africarenewal/magazine/April-2019-july-2019/zimbabwe'%80%99s-beef-industry-stampedes-back-to-life

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