Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe (THZ) has donated 80 metric tonnes of molasses to be used to prepare supplementary cattle feed in Masvingo’s seven districts.
The donation is aimed at mitigating the devastating effects of the El Niño-induced drought in the region.
Commenting on the initiative, Dahlia Garwe, THZ’s Head of Corporate and Industrial Affairs, said that the programme is part of the company’s Socio-Economic Policy (SEP) to support local communities. Said Garwe (via <a href="https://masvingomirror.com/tongaat-donates-80-metric-tonnes-of-mollases-to-fight-drought/">The Mirror</a>):
<blockquote>
We have donated 80 metric tonnes of molasses to Masvingo districts through the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Services (AGRITEX) targeting farmers in Bikita, Chiredzi, Chivi, Gutu, Masvingo, Mwenezi and Zaka.
The molasses will be used to prepare supplementary cattle feed. This is to assist farmers who are hard hit by El Nino induced drought and some of them are on the verge of losing livestock due to lack of feed.
One of the areas we focus on in the company’s Socio-Economic Policy (SEP) is community development so this donation fall under this.
We extended assistance to the communities in the district as relief to low cattle feed stock.
</blockquote>
Chiredzi Rural District Council Chairperson, Aspect Mashingaidze, commended the sugar-producing company for the donation. He said:
<blockquote>
We are grateful, my ward received a consignment of molasses from Tongaat. THZ has rendered a helping hand whenever it is needed.
</blockquote>
Molasses is a thick, dark brown by-product that is left over after sugarcane is processed to extract their sugar.
It is a viscous, sweetened and slightly acidic syrup that is a common ingredient in many foods and animal feeds.
It is used to add palatability, bind ingredients together, and provide nutritional value as an energy source for livestock.
In May this year, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Jenfan Muswere said that the El Nino-induced drought had claimed close to 10 000 cattle countrywide in the 2023-2024 farming season and the most affected areas are in Matabeleland North and South provinces.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe has given 80 metric tonnes of molasses to help farmers in Masvingo who are struggling because of a drought. The molasses will be used to make food for the cattle. This donation is part of the company's effort to help local communities. The Chairperson of Chiredzi Rural District Council thanked Tongaat Hulett for their help. Molasses is a sweet, thick syrup made from sugarcane. The drought has been hard on farmers, causing many to lose their cattle. This donation will provide much-needed help to the affected farmers.

Tongaat Hulett Donates Molasses To Aid Drought-Stricken Masvingo Cattle Farmers

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.

Government Bans Village-based Cattle Sales

The Government has warned farmers against allowing livestock to graze next to roadsides, saying it will not hesitate to confiscate them in terms of the law to prevent road accidents, reported the <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/government-to-confiscate-stray-livestock-along-major-roads/">Chronicle</a>.
Statutory Instrument 308 of 1974 prohibits any person from allowing animals to graze near roads.
Addressing farmers last week, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Deputy Minister, Davis Marapira, said:
<blockquote>
It is indeed important that we pen our livestock, especially at night, and learn to do this to prevent them from roaming around highways causing injury, death and property damage.
I would also like to encourage the farmers to create fence paddocks as they act as barriers in the event that livestock may want to escape at night…
However, it is disheartening as we speak today that most of the fences were vandalised by us locals, defeating the purpose for which it was fenced.
Let us respect the warning signs. It is in this regard that I want to bring the Statutory Instrument 308 of 1974, which prohibits any person from allowing animals to graze near roads.
To avoid having your cattle confiscated, pen them. Remember, to be foretold is to be forearmed.
</blockquote>
The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ), a parastatal under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, is fencing off the country’s highways as part of measures to reduce road traffic accidents.
TSCZ managing director, Munesu Munodawafa, said an average of five people die on local roads while about 38 people are injured daily.
He pleaded with members of the public to herd their cattle during the day and lock them at night to avoid the occurrence of accidents.
In 2019, the TSCZ, with the help of the Government, installed a highway fence from Gweru to Plumtree. The fence was however vandalised just a few weeks later.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Government Says To Confiscate Stray Livestock Along Major Roads

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister, Anxious Masuka, has urged communal farmers to desist from selling their livestock at giveaway prices because of dwindling pastures caused by the El Nino-induced drought.
As reported by <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/communal-farmers-warned-against-selling-livestock-as-hunger-bites/">NewZimbabwe.com</a>, Masuka was responding to questions that had been raised by legislators during the Question and Answer session in the National Assembly on Wednesday.
He said the government was aware that farmers were “de-stocking” after the number of cattle sold in Matabeleland South from January to February 2024 has risen by 43%. Said Masuka:
<blockquote>
In different places, we have observed that farmers are busy de-stocking because they are worried about the quantities of the feed that they have, for instance in Matabeleland South, the cattle that were sold from January to February… we observed that the quantities have gone up by 43%. So, the majority are selling their cattle.
As the relevant Ministry, we urge farmers to stop rushing to sell their livestock. They should only sell those old oxen and cows.
The heifers and other young cows, we should keep them in stock so that we can use artificial insemination to ensure that we have pastures for the calves so that they cannot sell their cattle.
</blockquote>
Spencer Tshuma, the Gokwe-Kabuyuni MP (ZANU PF) had also asked what the Government was doing given that most communal farmers when faced with hunger sell their livestock for survival.
Tshuma wanted to know what help they could get considering that livestock movement is banned in some areas. Said Masuka:
<blockquote>
The Government has put in place, together with the Ministry headed by Minister July Moyo, a programme to ensure that all households countrywide are provided with adequate foodstuffs until next year.
We only allow the movement of livestock once the period of the ban has expired because if we allow this, we may fail to contain the disease.
</blockquote>
Reports suggest that farmers are struggling to sell their livestock. Minister Masuka said the Government is currently trying to revive a programme under which market days will be published.
The programme was formerly run by the Cold Storage Commission (CSC) but has since collapsed. Said Masuka:
<blockquote>
We are in the process of trying to revive such activities so that farmers can be able to buy and sell cattle. We have allowed the Agricultural Marketing Authority to do that process.
</blockquote>
The shortage of pastures and poor crop yields due to drought are some of the factors driving communal farmers to sell their cattle, not only to avoid losses as the animals may succumb to hunger but also to raise money for food and other necessities.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Govt Warns Communal Farmers Against Selling Livestock As Hunger Bites

According to the latest report from USAID’s Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET), approximately 9,000 cattle in Zimbabwe have succumbed to drought-related conditions. Additionally, over 1.4 million cattle are currently at high risk due to the scarcity of pasture and water.
FEWSNET has issued a warning that the limited availability of pasture during the dry season is likely to result in higher-than-normal livestock deaths. It said:
<blockquote>
In Zimbabwe, over 9 000 drought-related cattle deaths have been reported, and over 1,4 million cattle were reported as being at high risk of drought conditions and death due to lack of pasture and water.
Water and pasture conditions are expected to be poor, especially in typically low-rainfall areas following cumulatively below-average rainfall that has limited pasture regeneration throughout the rainy season.
Poor livestock body conditions, particularly for cattle, will likely lead to higher-than-normal livestock deaths in the dry season as the limited pastures deplete and high prices limit access to supplementary feeds.
</blockquote>
The agency said an increase in human-wildlife conflicts is expected in some areas bordering parks and forests as wild animals seek water and food among communities.
It further asserted that there was an urgent need for comprehensive national assessments of crop conditions, livestock health, and overall livelihood impacts of the extended dry conditions. FewsNet said:
<blockquote>
These assessments are crucial for accurately determining the extent of damage and areas requiring immediate intervention and will not only guide targeted relief efforts but also inform policy development and programme implementation aimed at enhancing agricultural resilience. Further, Member States need to start preparing for in-depth assessments that will inform responses.
</blockquote>
Southern Africa, including Zimbabwe, is experiencing extreme weather patterns due to climate change and El Nino.
El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon characterized by the periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
In Southern Africa, El Niño tends to bring drier and warmer conditions. Reduced rainfall during El Niño events exacerbates droughts, affects crop yields, and impacts water availability.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

9 000 Cattle Succumb To Drought-related Conditions

Farmers in Matabeleland have implored the Government to review its policy of destroying livestock driven into another zone without permits or proper clearance.
Some of the farmers who spoke to <a href="https://newsday.co.zw/southerneye/local/article/200023867/farmers-want-livestock-policy-reviewed">Southern Eye</a> said the policy is too harsh and retrogressive.
Nkayi Community Parliament deputy speaker and communal farmer, Nkosilathi Ncube, said cattle should only be destroyed if they are diseased. Said Ncube:
<blockquote>
I am against the killing of animals but I suggest the government must impound the animals and if it’s the owner, they can fine the owner and give them back their animals.
If it’s an unknown person the cattle must be forfeited to the state. Unless they have some disease, then they can be quarantined or destroyed.
We must use the local Neighbourhood Watch committee members to assist in the clearing of cattle and put in place community policing forums to ensure that the cattle that are transported are properly cleared and those who are caught stealing cattle must face the mandatory jail term.
</blockquote>
Matabeleland South farmer and Kirton Farmers Association chairperson, Moketsi Basuthu, said:
<blockquote>
The modus operandi of getting a vet permit and stock clearance from the police needs to be better oiled so that farmers don’t struggle when they have to move their livestock.
</blockquote>
Destruction of livestock to farmers naturally speaks to loss of livelihood.
<blockquote>
Again, we don’t expect a farmer who has his livelihood at heart and that of his fellow farming community to will-nilly move their stock without requisite authority.
The Fencing Provisions Act is poorly enforced, yet it should be there to augment the Disease Management and Livestock Movement Act.
</blockquote>
Another farmer from Matabeleland South Province Ben Moyo, however, expressed his support for the policy of destroying impounded livestock. He said:
<blockquote>
People need clearance to move cattle. We simply have to follow the law which will enable our animals to be healthy and as farmers, we can make more money from them.
If our cattle for example were to stray into Botswana, because cattle are big business in Botswana they will shoot them.
</blockquote>
On 24 February, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development issued a notice calling on farmers to desist from illegally moving livestock without proper documentation.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Farmers Implore Govt To Review Livestock Policy

Ten (10) cattle that were illegally moved from a farm in Banket to Chinhoyi were destroyed over the weekend by the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS).
DVS destroyed the livestock as part of efforts to fight the spread of January disease, also known as Theileriosis.
The cattle only had police clearance but had no veterinary movement permit.
Under the Animal Health Act, farmers and livestock dealers need veterinary clearance to move livestock.
Department of Veterinary Services director Dr Jairus Machakwa on Sunday told <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/vet-department-destroys-10-cattle/">The Herald</a> that the illegal movement of cattle is undermining their efforts to combat January disease. He said:
<blockquote>
For any livestock to be moved, we need a veterinary movement permit which proves that the animals have been cleared by the department and that it is safe to move them to another area.
As you might know, we have declared war against January disease, but this is being deterred by those illegal movements of livestock.
Farmers should know that each cow should get a veterinary movement permit for it to be moved.
That helps us to ensure that we do not spread disease from one place to the next.
It also helps us when we are having outbreaks to quickly control the outbreak and lift any quarantines that we would have imposed for disease control.
The law will be applied in all cases where animals are moved illegally.
This loss of animals is avoidable and farmers need to comply with the Law to avoid the destruction of their animals.
</blockquote>
Theileriosis is common during the rainy season, that is, between December and March and is most prevalent in January hence the name January disease.
The disease is spread through the bite of an infected brown ear tick.

Vet Department Destroys 10 Cattle In Chinhoyi

Cattle rustlers from Zambia are allegedly crossing the border into Zimbabwe and stealing livestock from Binga villagers, taking advantage of the lack of visibility by the police.
This was said by Binga South MP Gabbuza Gabbuza (MDC Alliance) during the National Assembly’s questions with notice session last Wednesday.
Gabbuza wanted to know why there have been no arrests of “cattle rustlers from Zambia, who have been stealing livestock in Saba and Lubanda wards.”
He also demanded that Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe explain the measures “the government has instituted to curb commission of such crimes and recover the stolen livestock that have been identified across the border.”
In response, Kazembe said at the recently held Zambia-Zimbabwe Joint Permanent Commission on Security and Defence (JPC) in Livingstone Zambia it was agreed that police services from the two countries would work hand in glove to combat the crime. He said:
<blockquote>
As I speak efforts are underway to address the scourge.
On arrests, I would have to find out if there are any known culprits from Zambia that our police officers have failed to arrest after receiving information on stock theft.
It could be an issue of lack of information resulting in no arrests being done.
But as a country, whoever is involved in such acts, whether locals or foreigners, the law will take its course.
</blockquote>
Kazembe said his ministry was in the process of giving police officers patrol vehicles and other electronic gadgets like drones to fight crime. He added:
<blockquote>
We have started with Matabeleland South where to date we have established police bases in known areas that these livestock rustlers use when crossing into or outside Zimbabwe.
I would also like to engage you the honourable member together with the commissioner general of police to identify strategic places where we can establish police bases to patrol the affected areas of Saba and Lubanda.
</blockquote>
| <a href="https://vicfallslive.co.zw/index.php/2022/11/05/zambian-cross-border-rustlers-terrorise-binga-villagers/">VicFallsLive</a>

Zambian Cattle Rustlers Terrorise Binga Villagers

As Zimbabwe continues to face various challenges in its Agricultural sector brought about by climatic change and other natural factors, Stanbic Bank has urged farmers to take advantage of its Agribusiness advisory as well as livestock insurance cover to cushion their businesses against potential losses.
Stanbic Bank’s Head of Personal and Business Banking, Patson Mahatchi, said that the leading financial services institution’s Agribusiness unit can offer some financial solutions to commercial farmers who need to protect their return on investment. Said Mahatchi:
<blockquote>Our financial advisory services cover a wide range of industries and agriculture is one of them. We have experienced bankers in our Agribusiness unit who provide viable financial solutions for the benefit of commercial farmers.</blockquote>
Towards the end of 2019, the financial institution’s Agribusiness unit launched state of the art satellite-hosted remote sensing technologies which help farmers and agronomists with data analytics on local weather, soil moisture, field accessibility and leaf wetness.
This technology also provides optical satellite monitoring of the area planted, germination and growth progress forecast through algorithms.
Responding on the crisis where over 200 cattle are understood to have succumbed to anthrax between January and April this year while hundreds more died due to mysterious diseases that hit many parts of the country, Mahatchi recommended that farmers insure their livestock.
<blockquote>We have been reading reports on the deaths of livestock, especially cattle, which is a very unfortunate loss of wealth for both commercial and non-commercial herd owners. We do offer a livestock insurance facility which helps farmers protect themselves from such unfortunate circumstances.</blockquote>
He said the cover not only applies to diseases but also extends to other loses such as accidental death, emergency slaughter on the advice of a recognized veterinary surgeon and theft of livestock in raising units or paddocks, fire, smoke and lightning.
<blockquote>According to the bank’s terms and conditions for which the relevant reports and documentation should be provided, livestock is also covered against snake bites, accidental electrocution and storm damage amongst many other unfortunate events. Mahatchi said:
The benefits of Livestock insurance include protection from loss of valuable animals as well as provision of affordable cover which is tailor-made to an individual’s needs and business risk profile at competitive rates.</blockquote>

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