daniel chigunwe
Nyasha Motsi
Herald Correspondent
THE recent rains sweeping across the country have revitalised pastures that had gone barren, thereby alleviating the threat of livestock deaths due to starvation in the arid regions.
Livestock Farmers’ Union chairperson, Mr Sifiso Sibanda yesterday told The Herald AgriNews that farmers were happy with current rains, which have improve grazing lands.
“The widespread rains have brought relief to both livestock and people after a lengthy period of dryness, for instance, in regions like Masvingo, Matabeleland and parts of Midlands,” said Mr Sibanda
Additionally, Mr Sibanda said livestock was recovering from the drought of the previous season that caused food and water shortages.
“Our animals are recovering and we are happy about that. We lost a lot of animals in 2024,” he said.
Mr Sibanda explained that farmers had been seized with mobilising resources to get alternative feeds for their cattle with support from the Government, which has been shipping hay bales and other food stuffs to affected regions.
“We also acknowledge what the Government has done in terms of assisting farmers with the fodder banks and establishing areas where lucerne and vertebra grass is being grown,” said Mr Sibanda.
He added that focus had now shifted to protecting livestock from diseases associated with the wet season.
“We need to guard against tick-borne diseases. It’s a very dicey situation because it’s raining heavily, consistently and continuously in most areas,” he said.
Mr Sibanda also observed that most farmers had since come to terms with the fact that dipping animals to control ticks is often rendered ineffective by incessant rains, which wash away the chemicals shortly after application.
“To address the issue, most of them are also applying tick grease to add strength to the dipping chemicals. Because tick grease stays for a long time by its very nature, it is not easily washed away by the rains so that combination is encouraged,” he said.
He urged farmers to vaccinate their livestock and follow that up with either deworming or dozing and responding to any perceived threats without delay to prevent situations from escalating to difficult levels.
