The Government has banned individual-based cattle sales to establish ward-based unit cattle sales.
This move is intended to protect farmers from unscrupulous buyers who exploit their desperation to purchase livestock at very low prices.
Speaking in Parliament last week, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement, Anxious Masuka, explained that the ban on all household-based and village-based cattle sales aims to prevent panic-selling.
This is particularly crucial given that some households may be compelled to offload their livestock due to the El Nino-induced drought.
According to an excerpt from the Hansard, the official verbatim record of parliamentary proceedings, cattle sales will now be centralised at designated ward-level drought mitigation centres on advertised calendar days.
This new system is expected to provide farmers with more structured and regulated sales opportunities, shielding them from exploitative practices. Said Masuka:
This measure is intended to protect cattle from theft and ensure that farmers receive higher prices through a competitive bidding process.
The Deputy Minister, Hon. Marapira, is currently working to finalise the sales calendar for all 1,620 rural wards in the country, operationalising the proposed ward-based unit cattle sale.
Masuka also said the Government has procured deep-drilling rigs that can reach depths of 400 metres.
Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister, Mthuli Ncube, recently scrapped the 15 per cent value-added tax (VAT) on live animal sales, a move that was welcomed by farmers.
Presenting the 2024 mid-term budget policy review last week, Ncube proposed the exemption of VAT on the sale of live animals to restore demand for meat while at the same time promoting formal trade in the livestock sector.
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