ZIMBABWE in particular and Africa in general are traditionally cattle-producing areas.
Each African indigenous sub-group had a cattle breed particular to its geo-physical terrain, cultural specifications and natural territory.
Colonial cattle breeds were given their Eurocentric nomenclature from their supposed tribe and geo-physical space that the breed occupied.
Approximately 180 cattle breeds have been acknowledged in sub-Saharan Africa.
Of the approximate 150 indigenous breeds, 25 percent are established in southern Africa which include Afrikaander, Nguni/Nkone, Mashona, Tuli, Malawi Zebu, Bovino de Tete, Angoni, Landim, Barotse, Tswana and Ankole.
Many are, however, threatened by increased uncontrolled crossbreeding with exotic genotypes like the Hereford, Santa Getrudis, Aberdeen, Angus and Simmental breeds.
Indigenous cattle breeds have unique morphological features which distinguish them from other cattle breeds.
These include horn shape, size and coat colour.
Climatic stress resistance and productivity traits may also differ among the breeds, largely as a result of natural and human selection.
To compensate for the perception created during the colonial era, especially that pertaining to beef production, indigenous cattle breeds were considered inferior to imported breeds due to their small-frame.
Crossbreeding with exotic breeds was commonly practiced with minimal breed selection that threatened the existence of the indigenous cattle genotypes, placing the purity of indigenous cattle breeds under threat.
Crossbreeding as well as colonial institutional policies and practices that supported the use of imported breeds resulted in extensive crossbreeding.
As a result, some indigenous cattle breeds are now critically endangered, with fewer than 1 000 herds, including Sanga breeds such as the Nkone, Pedi and Shangaan cattle.
Replacement with exotic breeds, social and environmental disasters have placed many indigenous cattle breeds at risk of extinction.
Twenty-two indigenous African cattle breeds became extinct in the last century, while 32 percent of indigenous African cattle breeds are currently in danger of extinction.
Inappropriate introductions of colonial exotic breeds are not the only threat to genetic diversity.
Modernisation, industrialisation, disease outbreaks and extreme weather events, are among other threatening causes.
Lack of record keeping and uncontrolled mating systems, usually practiced in the smallholder areas, promote inbreeding.
In addition, both planned and indiscriminate crossbreeding between indigenous and imported breeds generated non-descript/crossbred cattle now dominant and which constitute about two-thirds of the cattle in this sector.
The purpose of crossbreeding cattle was to combine breed differences and to make use of heterosis to improve cattle, beef or milk production even though the harsh environmental conditions in the southern Africa region that includes high temperatures, droughts, floods and epidemic diseases and parasites related to climate change gave indigenous cattle breeds a competitive edge over exotic breeds that have been raised in temperate climates.
In the past, indigenous breeds were rarely subject to structured breeding programmes to improve performance and in some areas, indigenous animal genetic resources are in a state of decline due to indiscriminate crossbreeding and Western institutional policies that support use of high producing exotic breeds in the smallholder areas over indigenous breeds.
The erosion of indigenous cattle genetic resources is a cause for concern as they are an integral contributor to food, agricultural power, agrarian culture and heritage as well as genetic biodiversity for the smallholder indigenous farmer in Zimbabwe.
Indigenous cattle breeds have important adaptive traits ranging from drought-tolerance, resistance to ticks and tick borne diseases, heat-tolerance and resistance to trypanosomiasis.
The Sanga cattle (bos taurus Africanus) breeds such as Nguni, Tuli, Barotse, Tswana, Tonga and Mashona are the dominant indigenous cattle breeds in Zimbabwe.
Phenotypically humped, Zebu cattle (bos indicus) breeds such as Malawi Zebu and Angoni are also common, with 65-90 percent held by smallholder farmers.
Globally, the livestock sector is characterised by a great variety of production systems, ranging from low to high input, extremely extensive to industrial input, with a similar diversity in breeding systems varying in importance on adaptability or production traits and exposure to natural conditions characterised by different impacts on the environment and ruled by different systems of ownership and intellectual property regimes.
The production of animal-sourced foods worldwide such as meat, milk and eggs is increasingly being dominated by a small number of international breeds and, as a result, many indigenous livestock breeds have become extinct.
With an increasing bias towards exotic breeds and industrialised livestock keeping, the value of indigenous breeds is often overlooked or ignored.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) records information on 18 mammalian and 16 avian African species, with about 8 300 livestock breeds currently recorded in its database.
Of these, 22 percent are classified as ‘at risk’ of extinction, eight percent have already become extinct and no population data is available for approximately one-third of all breeds, according to the FAO (2012/2013 Report)
A breed is a homogenous group of livestock which are phenotypically unique from other groups or sub-populations of the same species.
The term ‘breed’ serves as a yardstick for assessing and monitoring animal diversity.
Animal genetic diversity enables farmers to select stocks or develop new breeds in response to changing environmental conditions such as climate change, new or resurgent diseases and new knowledge of human nutritional requirements as well as changing market conditions or changing societal needs.
The valuable genetic diversity that indigenous cattle can provide is secured through characterisation, conservation and development of breeding programmes.
Thus the development of strategies for characterisation and conservation of indigenous cattle breeds, including their unique products, requires essential consideration of multiple factors, including biology of animals, agro-ecology of the environment, animal production systems, among other considerations, which should be accorded high priority in Zimbabwe and the region.
In devising conservation programmes for indigenous cattle and strengthening the future position of the indigenous cattle breeds, it is essential for stakeholders to prepare strategic long-term plans to accommodate the challenges of limited resources such as feed, labour and capital and to devise successful conservation and lasting management programmes for indigenous cattle breeds in the expected smallholder cattle production systems and changing production environments.
The importance of acquiring the knowledge of cattle and animal husbandry is to equip our progeny with the culture, knowledge and empowerment to further develop Zimbabwe’s cattle and beef industries, hide technology and dairy farming to bring our cattle industry into the 21st Century.
For this, cattle breeders need to equip themselves with the latest digital technology, cattle industry equipment, grow pastures and conserve and maintain cattle ecological zones to source and create world markets for our cattle industry to become a world beef powerhouse.
Indigenous breeds are kept by the Department of Research and Specialist Services who have developed sundry technologies to assist improve cattle productivity by the resource-poor farmers.
The importance of governments’ commitment to the Global Plan of Action cannot be underestimated.
As the director-general of FAO, Jacques Diouf, stated before the Interlaken Conference: “Animal diversity is part of our common heritage that is too valuable to neglect.
Commitment and co-operation by governments in the sustainable use of animal genetic resources is urgently required.
There is no time to lose.
Extinction is forever.”
The previously ignored African breeds and knowledge may evidently become useful, particularly in cattle production and pest control.
This has become evident because researchers have come to appreciate some benefits of preserving indigenous livestock breeds due to their proven high resistance to certain diseases.
Dr Tony Monda holds a PhD. in Art Theory and Philosophy and a DBA (Doctorate in Business Administration) and Post-Colonial Heritage Studies. He is a writer, lecturer, musician, art critic, practising artist and corporate image consultant. He is also a specialist art consultant, post-colonial scholar, Zimbabwean socio-economic analyst and researcher. For views and comments, email: tonym.MONDA@gmail.com