VP Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga

Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
VICE President Constantino Chiwenga will today officially launch the artificial insemination programme and bull donation under the livestock revitalisation programme in the Midlands province at Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane.

The livestock revitalisation programme is being spearheaded by the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) in conjunction with Mimosa Mines.

Buy Zimbabwe Company is also a partner to the project.

During the event, Mimosa will hand over the $1 million Mandava Stadium to Zvishavane Town Council.

The programme is targeting to have 30 000 cattle artificially inseminated by the end of 2019.

According to the programme, VP Chiwenga will be accompanied by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement, Retired Air Marshal Perrance Shiri, Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, July Moyo and Winston Chitando, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development.

The high powered delegation will tour Mimosa surface mine after which VP Chiwenga will launch the artificial insemination programme and bull donation at the mine before officiating at the Mandava Stadium handover ceremony.

The cattle breeds that will be used as part of the livestock revitalisation programme are the Boran, Tuli and Mashona. The breeds will help improve communal livestock by providing pedigree strength associated with each cattle type.

Mimosa’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes started to take a strategic perspective in the 1990s, substantially contributing to community development.

Mimosa values community engagement in its approach to CSR and holds liaison meetings on a quarterly basis in order to enable community leaders to take the lead in defining CSR initiatives that respond to their priorities.

The company also has a wider scope of influence outside its immediate environment and participates in countrywide activities that cover a wide spectrum of disciplines mostly in health and education.

Established in 1895, the ZAS is arguably the biggest private member-based and member-driven Society in Zimbabwe. Its mandate is to promote agriculture and its supporting activities and to facilitate agricultural development that ultimately impacts positively on rural livelihoods.

The intended outcomes of the Livestock Revitalisation Programme include increased and improved indigenous breeds nationally, improved regular incomes for participating rural households, improved food and nutrition security, improved rural livelihoods, improved national socio-economic development, promotion of sustainable agricultural processes.

@pchitumba1