ALL ROADS LEAD TO HOBODO

"Yes we can." Indeed they can, that is why this Wednesday, 17^th October, 2012 Mangwe Farmers Association will officially launch its local feedlot scheme at Hobodo.  To most people that expression has since become rhetoric, but I have lived to see a community that meant what they said they could do. When everything around them was dying, they stood up in total defiance of the much chronicled drought in Matabeleland South. Mangwe Famers Association (MFA) under the wise leadership of Mr Adam Dube refused to succumb to the excruciating pain of losing the few remaining assets in their possession. They sought partnerships with other organisations in order to find lasting solutions to the perennial drought.

The only way they overcame the fatalistic attitude was to accept responsibility and believe in the law of cause and effect rather than luck. It took action, preparation, and planning rather than waiting, wondering or wishing to accomplish what they intend to showcase this Wednesday. A Mangwe Farmers’ Association partner, SNV came up with the local feedlot model, a market based solution to the problem of the increasingly uncompetitive livestock market situation in Matabeleland South province. 

Sell your animals and buy stock feed has been the slogan lately but, buyers indicate lack of good slaughter condition of animals, low livestock volumes for sale, lack of collaboration among farmers to access critical and competitive inputs and output markets and, farmers identify poor business relationships between farmers and agribusinesses resulting in poor prices being offered for their livestock.

 Apparently, almost every abattoir has its own feedlot because there is a critical shortage of good quality slaughter stock. The problem with that system is that buyers buy cattle for a song from farmers citing poor condition, feed them at a feedlot, slaughter them and sell at a handsome profit. The farmer is being killed by that system.

The SNV local feedlot model enables the farmer to feed his cattle at a communal feedlot, learn how to feed and manage a feedlot, sell his cattle in a much better condition, deduct the cost of feed and veterinary medicines and the rest is profit. Just like the abattoirs make their money. Bulawayo Abattoirs has partnered Mangwe Farmers Association in the construction and running of feedlots at three different sites namely: Smithblock, Sanzukwi and Hobodo. Bulawayo Abattoirs provide feed to MFA feedlots at cost and then recover their money when the animals are finally slaughtered. Cattle are being inducted weekly and the community is ecstatic as a result of the newly found hope.

The scheme provides for the maintenance of the homestead herd. A farmer may pledge his animal in order to get survival feed equal to the value of the pledged animal to feed cattle at home. Meanwhile the pledged animal is fed in the feedlot till it is in a good condition to be slaughtered. A farmer may pledge more animals in order to feed more cattle at home. Females are now in a better condition to conceive and give the farmer hope of a better tomorrow.

Bulawayo Abattoirs has taken a giant step in cementing a symbiotic relationship with the Mangwe community. A relationship is like a bank account, you ought to deposit in order to withdraw. I will not be found accusing Bulawayo Abattoirs of reaping where they have sown. Instead I would like to encourage some egocentric agribusiness owners to take a cue from this relationship. Abanye bafuna ukuvuna bengahlanyelanga

Farmers and agribusinesses should seize such opportunities to work together. Some people chose to be rigid largely because of those short term gains. I have said before, that is limited vision. People are looking for short cuts, hence in every organisation or society there are free loaders. These are people who want to get a benefit without paying for it.

 The foundation of success regardless of your chosen field is attitude. When your attitude is right, you will realise that you are walking on acres and acres of diamonds. Opportunity is always under your feet. People don’t recognise opportunity, they complain when opportunity knocks.

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