The Matabeleland Development Initiative (MDI) has urged the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development to increase awareness among villagers and rural farmers about its proposed cattle auction centres.
This comes after the Ministry of Agriculture announced a ban on household and village-level cattle sales last month, stating that all cattle must be sold at ward-based cattle sales
Speaking in Parliament last week, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement, Anxious Masuka, said that this move is intended to protect farmers from unscrupulous buyers who exploit their desperation to purchase livestock at very low prices.
Responding to questions from <a href="https://cite.org.zw/mdi-calls-for-clarity-on-centralised-cattle-auctions/">CITE</a>, MDI Chairman and Founder, Freeman Ncube, said the government should provide adequate information about the move. Said Ncube:
<blockquote>
Although we are concerned that not enough information regarding the sale of livestock was disclosed to villagers or rural folk to understand the processes of selling their livestock, including how they will be taxed and the movement of livestock.
There is a lot of confusion regarding all this, and we believe that there was not enough time to educate people about the selling of livestock and the processes involved.
</blockquote>
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.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

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The MDI wants the government to explain the new rules about selling cattle. The Ministry of Agriculture says all cattle must be sold at specific places, not in villages. This is to protect farmers from unfair buyers. But the MDI says people need more information about this change. The government should tell villagers how to sell their animals and what rules to follow. The Finance Minister removed a tax on selling live animals to help farmers. The MDI thinks people need more time to understand the new rules.

Matabeleland Development Initiative Calls For Clarity On Centralised Cattle Auctions

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:
<blockquote>
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.
</blockquote>
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.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

The government has stopped people from selling cows in their villages. Now, they can only sell cows in specific places on certain days. This is to protect farmers from being tricked into selling their cattle for very low prices. The goal is to stop people from selling cows in a panic because of a drought. The government is also trying to help farmers get better prices for their cows by having a fair bidding process. Also, there will be no more tax on selling live animals to encourage people to trade livestock in a better way.

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