The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
AGRIBUSINESS consultancy company, National Kraal is rolling out pen fattening training for farmers around the country to empower them with adequate knowledge so that they can start treating farming as a business and produce quality animals that give them value and aid economic growth.
With the effects of the projected El Nino-induced drought taking a toll on farmers they are being urged to undertake measures of managing their cattle competitively through the drought and contribute effectively to the national agenda of increasing beef production.
In an interview, National Kraal director and livestock specialist, Dr Christopher Magona said cattle pen fattening was a very lucrative business.
“Cattle pen fattening involves the feeding of beef cattle with a protein-balanced, high-energy diet for a period of 70 to 120 days under confinement to increase live weights and improve degree of finish and thus obtain better grades at the abattoir.
“It also enables the animals to express fully their genetic potential for growth. As National Kraal we are moving around the country training farmers to take livestock farming as a business,” said Dr Magona.
The local beef concern will be rolling out a training in Ruwa on March 23, before moving to other parts of the country, while the animal induction in pen fattening training will cover deworming, tagging, weighing and dipping among other key aspects.
He said their trainings complemented efforts to resuscitate the livestock sector by the Government that continue to gather traction, to boost production and satisfy national demand for both human consumption and industrial use.
Dr Magona said the trainers were alive to the projected El Nino induced projected drought for Zimbabwe and accordingly, emphasis was placed on the need for strategic destocking so that the number of animals match available resources.
He added: “Most farmers are underutilising the land they have, while with the proper training in a space of about three hectares, they could be able to run a proper livestock business. We are trying to bridge knowledge gaps around certain aspects that are important for profitability and to cut knowledge barriers on how much land and resources farmers need for their livestock farming business to thrive.”
Dr Magona said Zimbabwe’s livestock sector, especially the beef industry was poised to become a major player in the global market and contribute to the country’s economic growth and development.
Esigodini-based cattle breeder, Mr Obert Chinhamo of Biano Simmentals Farm said training for livestock farmers was critical and an eye-opener for them to realise the optimum best from livestock production.
“Professional assistance when you are doing livestock farming as a business is critical. With the right assistance, farmers are able to avoid unnecessary losses while being profitable.
“There are a number of advantages in feedlot management as it is a more economical way to raise a large number of cattle for beef production. Animals housed on feedlots are fed and raised on less land which cuts costs,” he said.
The Government through the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development has also been encouraging farmers to do cattle fattening as a method of raising livestock that minimises animal mobility, allowing them to gain weight more quickly.
Larger animals produce more meat, which can be sold for more money on the market.
Cattle fattening is in line with the Government’s Livestock Growth Plan (2021-2026), whose aim is to make Zimbabwe’s livestock sector a US$2 billion industry by 2025. In 2021 the livestock industry was worth US$1,1billion and now its US$1,5 billion, a 36 percent growth.
