By Kudakwashe Pembere
DWINDLING grazing lands for cattle due to human settlement is a scenario which has affected production of fodder in the country ultimately affecting the quality of livestock production in Zimbabwe, a livestock specialist recently said.
Resilient African Feed and Fodder Systems (RAFFS) Zimbabwe focal point, Mrs Tatenda Nyahoda said the growing population in the country has seen people encroaching into areas meant for cattle grazing.
“Also, at some point in time, I think what we all know that Zimbabwe is a total land area of this, and at some point in time we also used to know what proportion was available for grazing. But as time moved on, most of that land is used for human settlement. And as a result, land available for grazing continues dwindling,” Mrs Nyahoda said.
She also noted Zimbabwe is largely producing economy grade beef which is difficult to export.
“And we are also talking of inability to effectively compete on the export market of our products. Unfortunately, MC Meats did not manage to present today, but I think if we are to quote in terms of quality, majority of the meat that we are producing in Zimbabwe when it’s graded, majority of that meat I think is around the Economy, those lower grades,” she said.
The Economy grade according to livestock experts is ranked lowest in the classification of beef; the Super grade is the superior quality, tailed by the Choice Grade, and then the Commercial Grade. When the animal is classified as economy grade, experts say, it is of moderate muscle development with bones prominent due to lack of meat. They also state that the animal could have little or no fat.
She added that the output for super grade beef is dismally low in Zimbabwe. “The super grades, we are talking of very low production levels of super grades, you would hardly find countries that would like to import low quality grades,” she said.
Mrs Nyahoda stated that some mothers, understanding how milk is important in fighting malnutrition, are keeping some for their children but in small quantities.
“And we all know that the absence of animal source foods in any diet will always lead to those challenges. Most of our farmers will keep livestock, and if you are looking at cattle, normally it’s owned by the father, so they’re normally looking for income generation.
“You may find a household with stunted children, but they’re selling milk. And it’s only mothers who normally understand that, okay, as much as I produce the 20 litres, I can sell 18, and I need to keep 2 litres for my children to minimise the effects of stunting, so the livestock sector is very important if we are to reduce those levels of malnutrition,” said Mrs Nyahoda.
However, Zimbabwe, according to Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, vaunted that the country was experiencing a strong growth in beef production after the country recorded a 13 percent increase in the number of cattle slaughtered in the 12-month period to September 2023.
“This upward trend is attributed to a significant rise in cattle slaughter, with a total of 339 000 cattle being processed during the year, compared to 299 000 in the previous year,” the Minister said.
“It is my humble submission to you that substantial investments have been made in upgrading abattoirs, transportation, and storage facilities, which have streamlined the processing and distribution of beef,” he added.
