The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
THE Matopos Research Institute Agricultural Centre of Excellence (MACE) has made great strides in the artificial insemination programme with 469 cattle inseminated since the beginning of the year in Matobo and Insiza districts.
MACE is one of the six Agricultural Centres of Excellence (ACEs) that were established by the Government under the European Union-funded Zimbabwe Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Services (ZAKIS) project.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Matopos Research Institute Agricultural Centre of Excellence familiarisation tour by ZAKIS on Wednesday last week, MACE head Mr Tendai Matekenya said they managed to inseminate 469 cattle for farmers in Matabeleland South’s Matobo and Insiza.
“Under the livestock protocols for breed improvement through livestock insemination our initial target was 250 cattle per district but we managed to inseminate 244 in Matobo District and 225 in Insiza to bring the total to 469 cattle.
The insemination programme ran from January to the first week of March and over 14 extension workers were trained to assist with carrying out the exercise,” said Mr Matekenya.
He said the Agritex and Department of Veterinary Services extension officers from Insiza and Matobo districts received artificial insemination training from MACE in collaboration with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) as part of support to Government’s efforts to build the capacity of livestock value chains and improve the quality of the national herd.
Mr Matekenya said they intend to further develop the insemination concept at the MACE laboratory with most of the new equipment that has been availed to them by ZAKIS.
“With the latest machinery at the nutrition laboratory the major focus is on feed analysis. Opportunities are available at the MACE for farmers to bring their feeds for analysis so that they can be tested to assist them to know how to formulate diets to feed their animals the right nutrition values,” he added.
Mr Matekenya said they had made great strides with the formulation of a broiler feed from mealworms and other nutritious ingredients which has been registered with the Feed Services and their mandate was to teach farmers how to produce it as well.
ZAKIS Mhondoro-Ngezi oversight board member and a crop nutritionist Ms Tariro Gwandu said it was exciting to see the centre providing various services that can contribute to agriculture development through education, trainings, knowledge formulation and distribution.
She applauded the horticulture produce under solar powered drip irrigation as she said the business model which was being promoted was meant to make MACE self-sustainable with the produce being sold to local areas and as far as Bulawayo.
