Govt extends command livestock to cyclone victims

BY KENNETH NYANGANI

Lands and Agriculture minister Perrance Shiri has said government is extending the command livestock programme to farmers who lost their stock to Cyclone Idai-induced floods.

Shiri told journalists in Mutare this week that government was looking forward to helping farmers in affected areas rebuild their herd through the command livestock programme.

“We have a command livestock programme, where we have been giving farmers who keep heifers, sheep, goats and chickens around the country. We are going to extend that scheme to the Cyclone Idai affected areas so that the farmers can rebuild their herd,” he said

“We have already come up with a plan on how the farmers in these affected areas are going to benefit.”

He urged farmers to fully utilise agricultural programmes that were being rolled out by government.

Shiri commended the unity shown by Zimbabweans after Cyclone Idai hit the country mid-March, claiming hundreds of lives while leaving a trail of destruction, mostly in Chimanimani and Chipinge districts of Manicaland.

“We have never witnessed this spirit of oneness for many years now. I hope this Cyclone Idai will define a new beginning in terms of people working together,” he said
Local Government minister July Moyo said government was looking at long-term measures to rebuild damaged infrastructure.

“We are planning for one year. We are focusing on giving people food, temporary shelter and other issues that need to be addressed as fast as possible,” he said.

“We are not talking of a quick recovery of course, but there are some things that we need to fix very quickly.”