PLENTY OF POSITIVES IN THE LIVESTOCK AUCTION SALES

PUBLISHED BY THE SUNDAY NEWS 'LIVESTOCK MARKETS BY MUHLE M. MASUKU'

13/11/11

A barrage of negatives has been leveled at the communal cattle auction markets lately owing to government activity, inactivity and buyer arrogance. As scribes we stand accused of incessant bombardment of the cattle auction markets and rarely do we point at their insurmountable contribution to rural communities.

Kumbulani Mdimba, a respondent from Binga gave me a rude awakening when he narrated the untold suffering of the peasantry due to unavailability of organised sales in the district. “We are victims of unscrupulous buyers who offer the least prices in the region. Rural District Council organised cattle sales were stopped nearly a decade ago, and ever since we have lived at the messy of the spiteful buyers. Surely Mr. Masuku, half a loaf is better than none, we have nothing.”   

A scary picture began to develop as the monstrosity of the problem in Binga dawned on me. For as long as I can remember, small stock farmers have met with the same unbecoming situation in all the districts in Matebeleland region, no markets at all. The question that comes to my mind is, how do resource poor small scale farmers cope?

Literature tells us that the majority of poor farmers in the region own at least poultry, sheep or goats. There is no market for these in rural Matebeleland save for the recent intervention in Matebeleland South province by SNV (a Non Governmental Organisation) and partners. At least the small scale farmer has a market for small stock, better late than never.  

Typically African, we got a hand and now request the whole arm, I humbly implore SNV to dig deep in order to help establish more auction sale pens in the region. Livestock production is our way of life, and any other way is fiction.

Our very own “black diamonds’ (rich and famous) are now the masters of deception, capitalists to the core. There is every reason to inculcate the spirit of giving on this lot; it’s a sure way to excellence and uncontested legacy.

Our dependence on foreign assistance to do everything for us is now cancerous, surely the Department of Research and Specialist services has to complement SNV’s efforts and come up with an objective grading system for livestock in the communal areas. Lest we forget, livestock auction sales were used as a conduit to siphon African cattle through a dubious grading system, while colonialists developed a world acclaimed carcass grading system which was exclusively for their own use.

The Department of Livestock Production and Development (LPD) is grappling with staffing problems, with one extension worker in Nkayi, a district with 30 wards. This department is tasked with information dissemination and the question is how? The assumption is that they are doing their job but alas, all is in vain. Its time they honour up and let AGRITEX that abdicated that role at LPD formation in 2002, assist as they maintain presence in every ward in Matebeleland.

Mrs. Jane Mpofu said, “Small stock auction sales were the best thing to happen to us in Gwanda since Independence in 1980. These sales greatly empowered women who are responsible for small stock in a traditional set up.” The goat is termed a ‘poor man’s cow’, men shy away from them hence the role of taking care of this stock is relegated to women and children.

There are so many negatives that do not need money to remove, that we can do I presume. I am concerned when all we can do is to raise the begging bowl. Let us complement the NGOs in our midst, for the benefit of our rural communities.