Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
A CONSORTIUM of non-governmental organisations has built a provincial abattoir for Matabeleland North in Lupane District, a development which authorities said would reduce spread of livestock diseases and benefit farmers.

The abattoir is located at Jotsholo Centre and becomes the biggest in the province where only three proper structures were in existence in Matetsi and Madumabisa in Hwange and at Manjolo in Binga.

Farmers had been travelling to Bulawayo to sell their cattle which exposed the country’s herd to spread of livestock diseases.

Transport costs were a hurdle for farmers and middlemen were taking advantage and fleecing them along the value chain.

In some instances, some farmers would be turned away in Bulawayo because of disease control measures after having paid for transport.

The new abattoir was built by Sizimele in partnership with Kusile Rural District Council.

Sizimele is a consortium of 11 organisations funded through the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) and co-managed by the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) and Zimbabwe Government.

Chief Mabhikwa of Lupane yesterday said farmers are excited.

“This is a noble development and on behalf of the whole community I want to thank Sizimele, the RDC and Government. Lupane is located in region four and five where farmers do both crop and cattle ranching as a business and such a facility is key.

“People would want to sell their cattle but local butcheries had no capacity hence farmers were travelling to Bulawayo where transport alone would cost them a lot of money. Sometimes they would be sent back with their cattle from Bulawayo due to health provisions to prevent spread of animal diseases and that was a strain. The community is happy to have an abattoir closer to them,” said Chief Mabhikwa.

Matabeleland North provincial veterinary officer Dr Polex Moyo said the facility will eliminate middlemen who have been fleecing farmers and also help prevent spread of diseases.