Categories: Stories

Government tells farmers to destock as drought bites

Agriculture Deputy Minister Paddy Zhanda has urged farmers to destock after 7 000 cattle died in the south of Zimbabwe in the severest drought to hit the nation since 1992.

Zimbabwe, like most of the region, is facing a severe drought due to the El Nino phenomenon which is seen damaging harvests across southern Africa, leaving 14 million people in need of food aid, according to the United Nations Food Programme.
Zhanda said the cattle situation was dire in the southern provinces.

“On Wednesday I will be in Matabeleland North and South provinces engaging with the farmers to see how best we can handle the situation. I would like also to urge farmers to destock and sell some of their livestock and buy stockfeed to avoid massive losses,” said Zhanda, who is in charge of livestock.

More than 7 000 cattle were reported dead since October last year, with Masvingo province the hardest hit with 5 000.

The livestock department estimates that more than 500 000 cattle could die during the drought in Matabeleland North with 350 000 at risk Matabeleland South. Over a million cattle died in the 1991-1992 drought.

The government recently announced that it had set up task teams to set up feed lots for supplementary feeding of cattle around the country. The targeted provinces are Manicaland, Masvingo, Midlands, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South.

Last year, the agriculture ministry’s livestock department estimated that the national cattle herd stood at 5.3 million animals, down from over 6 million in 2014.- The Source

(44 VIEWS)

This post was last modified on %s = human-readable time difference 4:41 am

Charles Rukuni

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

Recent Posts

Will Mnangagwa go against the trend in the region?

Plans by the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front to push President Emmerson Mnangagwa to…

October 22, 2024

The Zimbabwe government and not saboteurs sabotaging ZiG

The Zimbabwe government’s insatiable demand for money to satisfy its own needs, which has exceeded…

October 20, 2024

The Zimbabwe Gold will regain its value if the government does this…

Economist Eddie Cross says the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) will regain its value if the government…

October 16, 2024

Is Harare the least democratic province in Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, which is a metropolitan province, is the least democratic province in the…

October 11, 2024

Zimbabweans against extension of presidential term in office

Nearly 80% of Zimbabweans are against the extension of the president’s term in office, according…

October 11, 2024

Zimbabwe government biggest loser when there is a discrepancy in the exchange rate

The government is the biggest loser when there is a discrepancy between the official exchange…

October 10, 2024