THE Government through rigorous programmes is now on track to achieve a 6 million cattle head count as the country moves towards import substitution whilst resuscitating the beef export market.
Speaking in an interview the director of Livestock Development Mr Alban Mhindurwa said the initiatives by the Government are set to address the various aspects of herd such as genetic improvement, disease resilience and feed availability.
In the Livestock and recovery growth plan the Government tagged this year to achieve a herd growth of 6 million from the current 5,5 million.
“Support initiatives towards livestock production through distribution of animal stocks to rural farmers as seed capital is transforming and empowering rural communities and will be expanded in 2023,” said Mr Mhindurwa.
The Zimbabwe Herd Book saw an increase of the number pedigree breeders increase by 27 percent to reach 204 which is critical in enhancing the country’s herd genetics.
In addition, as part of efforts to climate proof the livestock subsector the Government through the Presidential fodder bank programme has capacitated 300 000 rural smallholder cattle farmers this season with inputs to produce fodder across the country.
Mr Mhindurwa highlighted the department distributed a standard input package comprising of climate smart pasture options and climate smart feed options in a bid to promote on farm feed formulations to climate proof the livestock production subsector.
The programme is contributing towards herd building by building by eliminating cattle deaths during the dry season, improving carcass quality, carcass weight and improving conception rates in cows through maintenance of good body condition,” he said.
The programme is part of the Presidential Livestock input support scheme which is a set of timely intervention by Government to alleviate the scourge of hunger induced cattle deaths in order to maintain a healthy national herd.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development initiated the Dip Resuscitating Programme in pursuit of improving basic dip tank infrastructure in the country a move to protect animals against diseases.
During the 2023 National budget presentation Finance and Economic Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube revealed the Government earmarked ZWL6,6 billion for the construction, dip tank rehabilitation, surveillance and control as well as vaccination programmes.
The Government has propelled the Theirelia BOLVAC vaccination programme as part of the implementation of the National Integrated Ticks and tick-borne disease control strategy.
Recently the deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development highlighted how the local manufacturing of programme is a strategic move to address the need to vaccine animals to combat tick-borne related diseases. – The Herald
