The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
ABOUT 200 000 farmers across the country are set to benefit from the on-farm forage improvement programme being rolled out by the government as part of the livestock survival strategy.
According to the 2023/24 seasonal outlook, Zimbabwe has a high probability that it will receive varying normal to below normal rainfall which is expected to be erratic in space and time, with violent storms, prolonged dry spells, flash floods and tropical cyclones as the season progresses under the El Nino episode. An El Nino is a natural phenomenon that shifts global weather patterns and can result in extreme weather, ranging from drought to flooding.
Speaking after a tour of Mary Ellen Farm in Bubi, Matabeleland North province last week, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Dr John Basera said to cushion farmers they were rolling out the on-farm forage improvement programme.
“The government is rolling out the on-farm forage improvement programme whereby we are saying do not burn the velds but go out, cut and harvest the grass, then bale it. Once you do that you then do a process called urea treatment. As government we are going to be supporting 200 000 beneficiaries under our livestock survival strategy for this season. They will be getting a bag of urea each to do urea treatment on their farms. If you treat one tonne of forage, maize stover or wheat straw among other options you are as good as someone who has got one tonne of feed from the store.”
He said government was going to support farmers in the driest parts of the country like Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Masvingo and southern parts of Manicaland, among others. The Permanent Secretary said the aim was to ensure that farmers can survive throughout the season as the rainfall forecast was normal to below normal which could sometimes result in low veld or poorer grass and pastures. He said they were also carrying out a training blitz for farmers.
“We are also doing a training of trainers. Urea treatment is so delicate and that is the reason why we are taking our time to train our extension officers as well as other Ministry departments or extension services. We believe that this programme will be successful because we are targeting a national herd of six million by end of 2023 and eight million by 2025. Currently, we are sitting on 5,6 million so we need to do more. We need the livestock survival plan to work. Also, at the same time, we are promoting the production of small stocks such as goats, sheep, pigs and poultry as climate smart options. Its part of the livestock adaptation, mitigation and action (AMA) strategy.”
He said they were also targeting about 500 000 households and beneficiaries this year that will be supported with a starter package to do on-farm feed formulation under the Presidential Forage Programme.
Dr Basera said all these efforts were part of the government’s various intervention programmes in the livestock sector to attend to key aspects of herd growth such as the high mortality rates and genetics improvements.
The Permanent Secretary also commended the diversity farming enterprise taking place at Mary Ellen Farm which he said was contributing to growth of the agriculture sector in the country in line with the economic Vision 2030 to attain an upper middle class economy. Among other activities, the farm has about 464 cattle, 100 hectares under forage, 30 hectares being lucerne and 70 hectares of giant Rhodes grass.
“For the summer season, 70 hectares has been put under commercial maize, 110 hectares on seed maize and 150 hectares on soya beans. The farm is also one of the major contributors to national wheat production in the country.