Inclusion of livestock on Command Agric a welcome move

15 Jan, 2017 - 00:01 0 Views
Inclusion of livestock on Command Agric a welcome move

The Sunday News

Brahman cattle

SOMETIME in September last year, I wrote an article passionately pleading with the powers that be to include livestock into the Command Agriculture initiative. I was very pleased to read in the papers during the week that Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa told a section of farmers during his tour of the millers in Bulawayo that they have since decided to include livestock in Command Agriculture, albeit as an appendage.

The word appendage could be demoralising at first because it suggests that the item is a small piece in the bigger scheme.

However, the fact that we spoke and they listened is a very good start. I have since learnt through my column that I speak, people hear and at times take remedial action as advised although they may not necessarily say that they have adopted the suggestions.

At one time I wrote about trying reflective material on animals along the highways to curb road accidents and a few months down the line, the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe piloted on reflective ear tags. It could have been a coincidence.

I will not pretend to have a monopoly of ideas or pretend that all what I write comes from my head only. I also get a lot of input from farmers and many followers of this column hence I get thrilled when their views which I express are helping to inform Government policy.

Having said that I would like to thank the Government for listening and hope that they will consult farmers and relevant stakeholders on how to execute the livestock side of command agriculture.

I know it was mentioned in the article that nationwide consultations will be made. This pen appeals to the leaders of the programme to consult real stakeholders not just hotel enthusiasts some of them who do not even own a cat and they are accorded the right to speak on behalf of livestock farmers. We need to consult people who are in the sector and know the real issues bedevilling the sector.

Livestock Command Agriculture must address major issues within the livestock value chain.

These include improvement of breeds which is a challenge for most smallholder farmers.

We need to move our farmers from keeping peasant cattle to real cattle ranching. We cannot continue to count some animals which are barely larger than an average boer buck and we include such cattle in our national herd figures.

The breed problem is a huge issue in Matabeleland North Province and if livestock Command Agriculture is not addressing that then anything else you are talking about is immaterial.

Secondly, the strategy needs to address the market challenges for most smallholder communal farmers who are everyday fleeced by ruthless middlemen. It is unacceptable that before Independence people in Hwange could easily sell their cattle at local auction pens and now years after Independence they have no functional livestock sales outlets. Added to that challenge is the issue we have raised before on this very platform that the entire Matabeleland North Province has no functional abattoir.

Will it not be prudent for livestock Command Agriculture to assist in establishing an abattoir either in Lupane or Hwange districts in a typical private-public partnership in the same manner they revived a number of Arda estates?

Most importantly the Cold Storage Company needs to be revived. We are tired of lip service in so far as this aspect is concerned. At times you are forgiven to suspect that there are big bosses who are benefiting from the demise of CSC.

Why is no one lifting a finger when it is very clear to all and sundry that it is the missing link for both livestock marketing and restocking?

If we can engage private players to partner Government on such projects as Arda estates we certainly can do it with CSC. I ask again if there is someone benefiting from the continued comatose state of CSC?

Who should we fire in order to revive CSC?

Lastly, the strategy can look at how we can change or improve our production systems so that we improve the carrying capacity of our rangelands and avoid mortalities due to drought.

Having said all this I wait patiently for the consulting team so that I can share more views.

Uyabonga umntakaMaKhumalo.

Feedback [email protected] or cell 0772851275.

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