LIVESTOCK production has remained a key component of the agriculture sector and efforts continue to be made by stakeholders to improve growth.
It is normally practised in Matabeleland, but some farmers in Mashonaland Central, West, East and Manicaland among other provinces, have taken up the trade at a commercial level.
The national herd stands at five million and efforts are being made by Government and stakeholders to preserve and boost the herd.
Government plans to increase the herd to 25 million in the next 20 years.
Issues bedevilling the sector include lack of funds to access chemicals to curb and control diseases, inadequate pastures, stock-theft and for new players start-up capital.
Livestock farmers have also been negatively affected by erratic rains as this results in shortage of pastures.
Principal director in the Department of Livestock Veterinary Services Dr Unesu Ushewokunze-Obatulu said the continued hot dry conditions had resulted in the loss of livestock.
“At the moment we are ceased with the dry conditions and in some parts of the country the animals are dying,” she said.
Experts have urged farmers to create feedlots to ensure that livestock has adequate pastures.
A feed lot, also known as a ‘feed yard’ is a land area under a perimeter fence where livestock is restricted and fed a highly specialised diet.
Prior to entering a feed lot, cattle are weighed and vaccinated.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union livestock expert Lloyd Mataya urged farmers to be on the lookout for livestock diseases.
“As the rain season approaches, livestock disease outbreaks increase, hence farmers should be on high alert as to what to do to contain the spread or prevent diseases,” he said.
“In the past farmers were affected by lack of adequate funds to purchase dipping chemicals and this has affected the growth of the national herd.”
Most livestock in Matabeleland are affected by the Anthrax and foot-and-mouth.
The Government, has however, in the past seasons through the Veterinary Department helped farmers vaccinate livestock for notifiable diseases such as anthrax, newcastle, rabies and foot and mouth.
Anthrax is a bacterial infection that usually affects goats, cattle, sheep, pigs, camels, antelopes and horses which can be transmitted to humans through breaks in the skin, from contaminated food, and through inhalation of bacteria.
Lack of funding to the sub-sector has resulted in ranchers failing to purchase chemicals for dipping and containing disease outbreaks.
Government supplies dipping chemicals to communal and A1 farmers while commercial and A2 farmers purchase their own.
During the wet season, cattle are dipped once every week whereas in the dry season they are dipped once every fortnight.
Mataya said resettled farmers should be educated that vaccination or dipping is not only important during the rainy season.
“Vaccination and dipping is not done in one season but there are different times during the year when certain diseases are prevalent hence farmers should acquire knowledge on when and what to vaccinate the livestock against,” he said.