THE Government has made it its top priority to safeguard the adoption and continuous use of sustainable livestock production methods, as the country pushes to ensure food security on the backdrop of unrelenting climate change challenges militating against sustainable agriculture.
In a presentation during the just ended Zimbabwe conservation agriculture taskforce agenda meeting in Harare, Midlands State University lecturer, Dr Marvellous Sungirai said livestock production contributed 12 to 18 percent of all greenhouse gases largely blamed for causing climate change.
“Climate change directly affects the health, reproduction and nutrition of animals resulting in poor or inferior animal quality, outbreak of novel diseases and poor performance,” he added.
Climate smart livestock farming is anchored on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing resilience and promoting national food security and development goals.
“There is a strong need to encourage the concept of conservation agriculture in the livestock production sub-space amid indications of slow adoption of all principles of conservation agriculture,” said Dr Sungirai.
However, knowledge gaps continue to haunt the farmers’ progress in terms of adaptation to climate smart production practices, hence it is important to carry out awareness campaigns on the need to adopt conversation livestock production.
As the country moves towards climate smart livestock production, extension workers should strive to train farmers on sustainable production methods and explain the importance of food security benefits that come as a result.
“Livestock remains an important agriculture sub-sector with a 40 percent global agriculture gross domestic product while contributing 17 percent of food calories and more than a third of human diet. It is therefore important to protect the industry said,” Dr Sungirai.
Additionally, Dr Sungirai emphasised that the country’s policies should be bent towards encouraging uptake of climate smart livestock farming complemented by programme managers who incorporate specific strategies and practices into programmes and projects.
An integrated approach to production of trees and animals on the same piece of land is important for carbon sequestration, improved feed and consequently reduced enteric methane.
Dr Sungirai added: “In tropical grazing systems, substantial improvements in farm productivity and reductions in enteric emission intensities are possible with deep rooted pastures complemented by improved varieties of pasture varieties and replacing grasses with higher yielding and more digestible forages.”
The Government through the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development is implementing the livestock recovery growth plan aimed at increasing the country’s herd count to six million by 2023 from the current 5, 5 million in a bid to meet national demand and substitute imports. – The Herald
