The Sunday News
THE number of cattle that have died due to the effects of drought in Matabeleland South Province has surpassed 100 this year amid revelations that the figure is likely to rise if the dry spell persists and stockfeed relief distribution programme is delayed.
Division of Livestock Production and Development (DLPD) Matabeleland South provincial chief livestock specialist, Mrs Simangaliphi Ngwabi said the cattle poverty death situation had not reached alarming levels but hinted that it might get worse if stockfeed distribution programmes are not expedited.
“The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has pledged to distribute supplementary stockfeed at four critical points in Gwanda district but it is still to do so and this might result in the number of animals dying due to increasing poverty.
“However, the delay in the distribution of feed might also be a blessing in disguise as farmers are to carry it over to next year and use it in June and onwards when pastures start depleting. The situation is not yet very bad but the problem is that the rains have proved to be erratic,” Mrs Ngwabi said.
According to the latest cattle poverty deaths statistics obtained from DLPD, 57 cattle have died in Gwanda district, Bulilima (20), Matobo (18), Mangwe (7) while no reports have been received from Umzingwane, Insiza and Beitbridge.
Mrs Ngwabi said farmers should always be prepared to guard against poverty deaths with each passing year through preparing their own feed or purchasing from stock feed manufacturers.
Mangwe Farmers Association chairman Mr Adam Bango-Dube said there was a need for farmers in Mangwe to utilise the feedlot that was set-up by the farmers grouping to induct part of their animals so as to save their herds from dying of drought.
“Of course cattle are dying due to lack of grazing land and water. There is nothing much we can do about the water situation because we mostly depend on the rains but we can mitigate and reduce the deaths of the animals through inducting them in the feedlots.
“I’m really pained by the failure by farmers to take up initiatives (inducting of cattle in feedlots) as these are meant to save their animals. They should induct their cattle and we arrange with our partners to give them feed, which is equivalent to the value of their animal(s) and then feed their herd,” Mr Bango-Dube said.
He urged Government’s agricultural department extension officers to inform farmers about the importance and benefits they stand to derive from inducting their cattle in feedlots.
Mangwe Farmers Association has started inducting cattle in its feedlots and so far more than 130 animals are under pen feeding.
The association has feedlots in eight villages Bango, Brunapeg, Hobodo, Mabuledi, Sanzukwi, Mpande, Tshitshi and Smith Block.
Reports said over 12 000 cattle were lost due to drought in Matabeleland South in 2013 due to drought related challenges.
Matabeleland North provincial veterinary officer Dr Polex Moyo said the department has not received further cattle deaths prior to the report the death of the 12 animals that died in Tsholotsho district two weeks ago.
