Marvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
MATABELELAND South farmers have started losing cattle to drought with eight deaths having been recorded in Gwanda district. Recently, the government estimated that more than 350,000 cattle are at risk of succumbing to drought in Matabeleland South if no intervention measures are put in place to save the livestock in the cattle ranching region.

In 2012, the province lost more than 9,000 cattle to drought as mitigation measures came in late. In an interview yesterday, the province’s chief livestock specialist, Simangaliphi Ngwabi, confirmed that the province had so far recorded eight cattle deaths which have been reported in Gwanda South. “We’ve recorded a total of eight poverty-related deaths of cattle in Gwanda South. Six cattle deaths were reported in Manama and two in Nhwali. The situation in Gwanda South is very bad, pastures have been exhausted,” she said.

Ngwabi said Gwanda South was among the areas that have been hard hit by drought among other places including Beitbridge, Matobo, Bulilima and Mangwe districts which are likely to also start recording cattle deaths.

“This time of the year, even if we receive some rains, animals still suffer from nutritional deficiency and therefore animals will require supplementary feeding.

“So far, there are no intervention measures by the government and non-governmental organisations.

“We never thought it would get to this point when cattle start dying because there was adequate backing from extension staff in all the areas,” she said.

Ngwabi said the situation was not very bad in Umzingwane and Insiza Districts but veld fires have become a problem in these districts as they devastated grazing areas.

The cattle deaths come at a time when farmers in the province are still waiting for the government to fulfil its promise of intervention measures to save livestock.

In April this year, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Deputy Minister responsible for livestock, Cde Paddy Zhanda, accompanied by officials from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), visited the province to assess the drought situation and appreciated that there was a need for livestock drought mitigation measures to be introduced.

However, farmers expressed concern over the government’s continued silence on providing drought mitigation measures.

“We’re making efforts to engage the government to ask how best they can assist farmers,” said Ngwabi.

The condition of the cattle across the province ranges from poor to good and the lack of water sources is worsening the situation.

The Foot and Mouth outbreak in some parts of the province is also another challenge which has resulted in farmers selling cattle for as little as $150 per beast.

Despite the disease, drought has forced some farmers to move their cattle to relief grazing areas with some animals having been moved to Gwanda Town.

The provincial livestock specialist, Mario Muchemwa, said the water situation was critical in some parts of the province which has seen people and animals competing for water.

He said most farmers could not afford to buy stockfeed pegged at $14 per bag at the shops in Gwanda as a bag also costs $5 to be transported to its destination.

“The farmers will need to be cushioned just for the period between September and December when the rainy season is expected to start,” said Muchemwa.

The recurrent droughts that continue to dog the province have negatively affected livestock production resulting in a reduction of the province’s cattle herd which by November last year stood at 636,441.