IN 2000, Government implemented the Land Reform Programme, opening doors for indigenous farmers to scale up livestock production.
Before the programme, most indigenes were not involved in commercial livestock production which largely remained a preserve of white commercial farmers.
Black communal farmers kept small herds of domestic animals mainly for consumption and draught power.
According to the Crop and Livestock Assessment Report issued by the Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Ministry, the national herd increased by four percent during the 2016/2017 cattle production season.
The national herd increased from 5,3 million recorded during the same period last year to 5,5 million.
The report indicated that 90 percent of the cattle are owned by smallholder farmers with the communal sector owning 68 percent, A1 farmers owning 11 percent and seven percent from resettlement areas.
“Four percent is contributed by small-scale commercial farmers while 10 percent is owned by large-scale commercial farmers,” read the report.
According to the report, Matabeleland North Province recorded the highest increase of 18 percent from 557 652 cattle to 656 898.
Masvingo Province, which has the largest herd of over one million, increased production by one percent.
Matabeleland South Province follows with an increase in production of 11 percent from 615 073 to 685 010.
In Mashonaland East Province, production increased from 653 759 to 662 158, while Manicaland Province recorded an increase to 618 120 from 615 190 and Mashonaland Central Province’s herd increased from 506 892 to 534 478.
Midlands Province suffered a decline of five percent from 763 794 to 728 564.
The country has a variety of domesticated animals including cattle, pigs, goats, poultry and sheep.
The other major commercial livestock species are domesticated wildlife in the form of ostrich, fish and crocodiles.
Given the changes in the agriculture sector, indigenous farmers, who have been allocated land, are being encouraged to augment crop production, the strength of many, with livestock production.
The continuing increase in the uptake of commercial livestock production is in line with efforts by Government to preserve and boost the national herd which stands at five million.
Government plans to increase the herd to 25 million in the next 20 years.
However, over the years, efforts to grow the herd have been derailed by a number of challenges.
Issues bedevilling the sector include lack of funds, access to chemicals to curb and control diseases, inadequate pastures, loss of livestock to thieves and, for new players, capital to start up while erratic rains result in a shortage of pastures.
However, farmers have not backed down.
Strategies have been put in place to ensure farmers’ efforts do not go to waste.
Livestock production is normally practised in the Matabeleland region but since the Land Reform Programme, farmers in Mashonaland Province have also taken up animal husbandry on a large scale.
To help support farmers’ efforts stakeholders have put in place strategies to ensure livestock farmers are successful by equipping them with skills and best practices.
Livestock farmers are being negatively affected by stock-theft and lack of knowledge.
In a move to deter would-be offenders, Government has set stiffer penalties for stock-theft which threatens to retard the growth of the national herd.
The harsh punishment is in line with the new sentencing guidelines in stock-theft after lawmakers moved to change the law in response to the rising cases of cattle rustling.
For stealing one animal, the sentence is between nine to 25 years in prison.
As part of efforts to curb the crime, the police force has embarked on nationwide campaigns, engaging the public on ways of dealing with the crime.