The Sunday News
I TOOK a lot of bashing from a few affluent farmers for my apparent vote of confidence for the Government policy on decentralised cattle sales. The furious body jabs were not unexpected, it comes with the territory but what was disappointing was that they aimed below the belt hitting the person and discussing very little about the policy itself, its merits and demerits.
However, what inspires me is not the furious attack on my person but separationist views exhibited by some of the farmers.
The idea that because we are producing special breeds of animals and we are farming on the peripheral environs of Bulawayo, hence we deserve special treatment compared to the majority of the smallholder farmers in the rural areas is the one I am not in agreement with.
I must hasten to say this did not come from everyone who took exception to my last article but there were some who exhibited the “all farmers are equal but some are more equal than others” attitude and this cannot go unchallenged.
It must be stated here categorically that 90 percent of the national herd is in the hands of communal farmers hence I find no reason why one would suggest that these farmers be treated as second class citizens.
I admit that when it comes to livestock marketing in Matabeleland region, the centralised sales provided prime prices for cattle and that the centralised Bulawayo urban cattle sales are the reasonable market point for farmers in and around the city.
What I, however, find repugnant and will resist at all costs is the elitist view that my grandmother uMaNdiweni with her 30 head of indigenous breed eJotsholo does not deserve a competitive market at her doorstep like the affluent farmers around Bulawayo.
Every farmer wants to sell to a competitive market. No one wants to be fed to hyenas with regards to market and it is that simple.
There are farmers in some districts who have not witnessed a cattle sale in their area for more than 10 years yet these people rely on cattle for survival. They need to pay school fees and buy basic commodities for their families like everyone does and so why on earth will someone find it offensive that fellow farmers have access to a competitive market like he does.
To me decentralisation of cattle sales does just that. It obviously has its teething problems and like any change, it will be painful. Farmers in Kasase (Hwange), Chunga (Binga), Halisupi (Gwanda), Petani (Nkayi) and many other districts of Matabeleland region also want reliable markets.
One cheeky farmer even suggested that rural farmers should sell to CSC, an entity that is so dead that even a Lazarus moment will be difficult for its resurrection. So one is ready to condemn a whole lot rural smallholder farmers to a “deceased” CSC for as long as he gets his share of prime market!
These are our mothers and fathers whom we are talking about and some of us were educated using money from cattle sales.
I have nothing against centralised sales in fact I wish these could open yesterday but I also believe in decentralised sales because I don’t think the two are mutually exclusive. Just in case one reader thinks I am contradicting myself, let me clarify further. I am saying centralised cattle sales are not a panacea for all livestock market challenges, they need to be supported by decentralised sales. If we have to sacrifice one between the two systems I will sacrifice centralised sales because they have a smaller reach compared to decentralised markets that reach the majority of smallholder farmers. The argument that is being generously thrown around that decentralised sales are the single reason for the drop in livestock prices will not wash with me because I know that there are always a combination of factors playing together to determine the price being offered. Currently the dominant factor in cattle price drop is the cash crisis that is gripping the country. In fact I know of cattle sales that have been cancelled out rightly because buyers could not get money from the banks. This has absolutely nothing to do with decentralisation.
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