Chivi farmers were losing 1500 cattle per season due to drought.

Nyasha Chingono  and Farai Mabeza

CHIVI farmers in Chiokoyo village are battling to save their livestock due to depleted pastures caused by the El Nino induced drought.
Many of the farmers have consequently resorted to selling their cattle for paltry sums to abattoirs to reduce losses.
While the farmers have barely enough to eat, their livestock, which is their wealth in real terms, are also struggling to survive the effects of last season’s drought.
They are now hoping that the current rains, which have led to devastating floods in some areas, could restore pastures and allow them to harvest enough crops during the season to feed themselves.
The farmers have been selling their cattle for as little as US$200 per beast to abattoirs in fear of losing their livestock.
The expansive cattle ranches that used to be a haven for beef production have turned into deserts following consecutive droughts in the region.
The district’s major rivers are heavily silted and livestock have barely enough pastures or water to survive last season’s drought.
A recent visit to the district during a Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) tour revealed disheartening scenes as farmers sold their cattle to abattoirs at very low prices.
Livestock in the district have to travel for nine kilometres to the nearest water source and the most affected are lactating cows.
The head of livestock production development in Chivi District, Irene Chihanga, said grazing areas were insufficient for the cattle and farmers were travelling long distances in search of water.
“Grazing lands are inadequate for our livestock. Our district is in agro-ecological region four and five, mainly characterised by the depletion of annual grasses. There is a high percentage of bare land in the district and this is contributing to loss of livestock,” Chihanga said.
Chivi district has a carrying capacity of 108 000 beef cattle and farmers were reportedly losing 1 500 cattle per season before the FAO intevened in the area providing supplementary stock feeds.
Chihanga said the district was facing a huge water crisis that had grossly affected livestock production.
“During the peak of the dry season, our livestock can travel for more than nine kilometres to the nearest water source. Most water sources are heavily silted, thus creating run off,” Chihanga said.
One of the farmers, Tendai Muzondo of Chiokoyo village, feared the worst when she heard that one of her cows had collapsed due to hunger.
Together with her family and neighbours, she had to literally carry the beast back home and feed it for three days before it could get back on its feet.
Pastures in her area have depleted and the effects of the El Nino drought of the 2015/2016 seasons are negatively affecting livelihoods in the area.
Muzondo joined the subsidised stock feed scheme funded by Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and implemented by FAO to save her cattle from starvation.
“I bought four bags of the stock feed. I could not carry them because I don’t have a scotch cart. I took only half and gave it to the cow. If we could get more of this feed then we would not lose any of the cattle to hunger,” Muzondo said.
The programme has helped farmers to restock through the subsidised stock feed scheme.
Muzondo can now afford to smile, but Mark Makombe, the senior animal health inspector for Chivi, said it would take several seasons to restore normalcy in livestock production in the area.
“Because of the drought, it will take time for the animals to gain enough strength to be able to provide draught power. At the same time the cattle do not have enough strength to go to the dip.”
FAO Zimbabwe aims to support 6 000 households in different parts of the country with subsidised stock feed and 15 000 households with subsidised small grains seed in 11 of the worst affected districts as well as provide extension services during the 2016/2017 season.
FAO’s livestock programme has also supported more than 70 000 households countrywide through vaccination campaigns against anthrax, foot and mouth and Newcastle diseases.
The project helps farmers access drought-tolerant seeds and subsidised stock feed.
Smallholder farmers are also provided with subsidised sorghum seed and cowpeas seed.
Sorghum, like other small grains, is drought tolerant.
Pulses such as cowpeas are ideal for nutrition security at the household level as well as helping with soil fertility
During 2015/2016 season, FAO provided about 6 700 households with subsidised livestock feed and 9 800 households with cereal and legume seeds.
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