The strategic importance of the livestock sub-sector in the current agriculture transformation process cannot be over-emphasised.

Livestock-derived products such as milk, meat and their value-added products are important in ensuring national food supply, nutrition, and economic growth.

To increase the sector production and productivity, the Government came up with the Livestock Recovery and Growth Plan, which seeks to achieve a US$1,9 billion livestock economy by 2025.

Some of the strategic interventions being implemented by the Government under this plan to ensure the growth of the sub-sector, include innovations such as climate proofed livestock production, improved livestock genetics, crowding-in the private and financial services sectors, capacitating the livestock and veterinary extension service delivery system to enhance responsiveness to farmer’s needs among others.

Speaking at the launch of the Agricultural Sector Survey report in Harare last week, The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development Dr Basera, said the average size of a beast in Zimbabwe has been declining.

Part of this is attributed to poor genetics.

Hence the Government has taken a deliberate stance to implement programmes targeted at improved genetics through artificial insemination.

The establishment of a bull and semen collection centre in Mazowe and coming in of the European Union Value Chain Alliance for Livestock, which will see the launch of artificial insemination station in Mashonaland West are key launchpads.

But what is the contribution of livestock to the economy?

Livestock is one of the biggest consumers of crop commodities especially maize.

The industry uses on average 450 000 tonnes of maize by on-farm mixers as well as feed companies.

However, with continual growth in traditional grain harvests being registered, they can replace maize in feed and thereby creating a market for farmers in the drier areas of Zimbabwe.

The only potential hurdle lies in the pricing, with data showing that traditional grains are priced above maize.

This has resulted in maize being the preferred crop in the formulation of feed.

Grain milling by-products such as maize and wheat brans are a major input in the production of feed.

In Zimbabwe, livestock absorbs all that is produced.

Soyabean is another crop largely used in livestock especially by on-farm feed mixers.

The industry utilises 165 000 tonnes of soyabean meal mainly for poultry and pigs.

With local production not meeting national requirements, soyabean is one strategic crop that is lucrative to grow due to its high demand by manufacturers.

According to the Livestock and Meat Advisory Council, the feed industry is a major manufacturing industry in Zimbabwe producing 550-600 000t of feeds for the livestock producing sector and employing about 3 000 people.

The chicken industry is producing 132 000 tonnes of chicken meat per year and producing 24 million 30-egg trays each year.

The livestock provides food items such as milk, meat, and eggs for human consumption.

The nation produces 75 million litres of milk per year from which value-added products such as cheese, ice cream and milk powder are derived.

The 2021-2022 season is targeting 82 million litres.

Livestock and Meat Advisory Council estimates that current slaughters are in the region of 360000 cattle and 144 000 pigs per year.

The Government is targeting the national beef herd to 5,6 million from the baseline of 5,4 million.

In the rural areas, where the majority of small holder farms are located, livestock production is closely interrelated with crop production.

The most reared, that is cattle, provides draught power for tillage, manure, and transport as inputs to crop production.

Thus, improving linkages between small-scale producers and the market should anchor the success of the livestock sector.

This is necessary to circumvent a plethora of challenges faced by smallholder livestock farmers.

These include a lack of access to markets and related services. The Agricultural Marketing Authority will ensure that small-scale producers have access to the market as it is an essential key to securing better livelihoods.

Income growth in the livestock sector has a strong income multiplier and poverty reduction impacts.

One of the interventions by the Government entails harnessing pension funds and deploying them into agricultural long-term investment domains in livestock production.

Word from the market is a column produced by the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA). The Livestock and Meat Advisory Council contributed to this article. Extracts from Strategic Role of Livestock in Agriculture and National Economy , Presentation to the 9th NECF Annual National Agribusiness Conference , ZAS 2021) Feedback: [email protected] or [email protected]