FEEDBACK:A DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONERS PERCEPTION
This article was motivated by the question which you posed in your weekly column “livestock markets by Muhle M. Masuku”. The principal question which begged answers was why the numbers of livestock are dwindling in Matabeleland region while increasing in other provinces such as Masvingo. This is against the background that the region has always been the mainstay of livestock production in the country. This paper attempts to provide answers to this complex problem.
The decline in livestock numbers in Matabeleland region is a result of a matrix of factors working independently or in unison over a considerable period of time. The factors include:
1. Collapse of livestock production support systems
Matabeleland region used to benefit immensely from institutions such as the Cold Storage Company (CSC) that used to support farmers with heifer loans which were instrumental in building farmers’ herds and contributing to the government restocking efforts. The dearth of CSC left farmers with no fallback support institution even after severe livestock losses due to drought and disease outbreaks. There is a general bias by agricultural support institutions to lean towards crop production more than livestock production. This is evidenced by schemes such as seed and fertilizer support for communal farmers.
2. Blanket approach to agricultural support
Matabeleland region is a cattle ranching zone. However there is usually a surprising level of ignorance or indifference by powers that be when designing intervention programmes for this region. Instead of investing in livestock production inputs a lot of resources are spent buying maize seed and fertilizer for communal farmers. Expectedly, these invariably yield average to below average in this region. This “one size fits all approach” to agricultural intervention programmes have not helped Matabeleland region which is given the same prescription with wetter regions of this country. No wonder why some communal farmers got tractors under the mechanisation programme when all they have is 5 acres of arable land. The same vigour which is exhibited when supporting crop production needs to be applied when supporting livestock production.
3. Collapse of extension services
The decline in the economic situation of the country coupled with massive exodus of skilled extension personnel left farmers severely exposed. AGRITEX and Veterinary Services department were left with inadequate numbers of inadequately trained staff. Instead of the usual 3 years training for AGRITEX extension officers, they were now trained in one and half years, producing extension officers with critical practical limitations. The Veterinary department was also left crippled with no capacity to deal with perennial problematic diseases such as foot and mouth, lumpy skin and black leg.
4. Abuse of stray livestock
Sadly most Rural District Councils (RDC) have turned stray livestock into income generating projects with very little sympathy or regard for the farmer. Rather than tracing the owner of the stray livestock they would rather sell the animals as soon as the waiting period permits them. The information on stray animals is deliberately posted on national papers knowing pretty well that communal farmers are unlikely to read the papers. Many farmers have lost a lot of livestock to RDCs who are eagerly waiting for stray livestock. Straying of livestock is further exacerbated by cutting down of boundary fences and destruction of grids after the land reform programme. This means animals now have large home ranges making them susceptible to straying and theft.
5. Unscrupulous auctioneers and buyers
The mushrooming of unscrupulous buyers and auctioneers has also aggravated livestock losses especially from communal farmers. These buyers aided by auctioneers buy even 2 year old heifers when it is a general rule of the thumb that these belong to the breeding stock and thus should not be sold for slaughter. Also because these buyers purchase livestock at grossly suppressed prices, this makes farmers sell more livestock than they aught to for them to cover their expenses.
6. Shrinking of grazing land
The proliferation of human settlements resulted in the decrease of the size of grazing land for communal farmers and thus reducing the carrying capacity of these areas. Also the emergency of alternative land use practices such as gold panning resulted in the shrinking of grazing land as these areas became unusable for grazing purpose.
7. Poor veld management practices
Some beneficiaries of the land reform programme seem to be improperly equipped in so far as correct veld management practices are concerned. This is evidenced by perennial veld fires which destroy grazing lands leaving livestock vulnerable to starvation. Most farms either do not have fire guards or they have ill prepared fire guards.
8. Stock theft
An analysis of crimes committed in Matabeleland will reveal that stock theft is among the most featuring crimes. A case in point being the Shanyaugwe case in Gwanda south where stock thieves are causing havoc within the community. This could be attributed to the commercial value of livestock in Matabeleland which is way above that of livestock in other regions of the country. Also corruption by the law enforcement agency does not help the situation as some stock theft suspects are left to go scot free.
9. Poor crop yields
This causes farmers to sell their animals just to buy grain for their families. Communal farmers tend to live out of supermarkets instead of granaries like their counter parts in other regions do. In some instances livestock battered for grain by people who latter sell them for slaughter.
10. Persistent droughts
Matabeleland region hardly gets two successive years with adequate rains. The region is dogged by droughts which have negative effects on both humans and livestock. Successive droughts result in poor grazing, forage and watering sources. This forces animals to travel long distances in search of water. Most watering sources are now affected by siltation causing them to dry out quickly.
Conclusion
While some of the noted factors may also be experienced and applicable in other regions of the country, their impact is felt much more in this part of the country due to the fact that livestock production is the mainstay of agricultural activity in this region.
By Mhlupheki Dube
Livestock specialist and community development practitioner based kuTitji (Plumtree) town.
FEEDBACK:
Masuku: The essence of this column is to share information. Thank you Mhlupheki for your contribution. Don’t be a silent professor, share the knowledge.
Email:muhle.masuku@gmail.com or sms only to 0712 938 659. We now have another window to discuss these and other livestock issues on a continuous basis on; http://livestockfocus.blogspot.com/
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