Austin Nyathi Gwanda Correspondent
THE government is considering scrapping the Livestock Levy Commission (LLC) charged to cattle buyers by Rural District Councils during cattle auctions, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Deputy Minister Responsible for Livestock Production Cde Paddington Zhanda has said. Addressing District Administrators and Chief Executive Officers from all the seven districts in Matabeleland South at the Provincial Administrator’s boardroom in Gwanda on Wednesday, the deputy minister said the 7,5 percent levy was short-changing farmers.

Cde Zhanda also queried why cotton farmers were not being levied when livestock farmers were subjected to a levy.

“Sales commission levies are discriminating against cattle farmers, if cotton farmers and tobacco farmers don’t pay the seven-and-a-half percent of the total sales why not exempt the cattle farmers?” asked Cde Zhanda.

“Buyers will have calculated and they simply pass on the buck to the poor communal farmer who has no source of income, as deputy Minister responsible for livestock farming I will lobby for the removal of the levies.”

The Deputy Minister advised farmers from Matabeleland South to consider planned destocking so that they remain with a manageable number of cattle and raise funds for stockfeeds.

“It is the duty of Members of Parliament and councillors to advise farmers to do destocking and not to keep cattle for pride. I am aware there are some unscrupulous private abattoirs who short-change our farmers, but it is better to sell your beasts and at least get something out than for them to all die of drought as you watch,” he added.

Matabeleland South chief livestock specialist Simangaliphi Ngwabi recently said 364,622 cattle in the province are at risk of succumbing to the effects of drought this year if intervention measures are not put in place as a matter of urgency.