The acting provincial director
for the Agriculture and Rural Development Services in
Matabeleland South, Mkhunjulelwa Ndlovu – popularly known as
MK – is a happy man who enjoys his
job. From the onset, he makes it clear
that he has vast knowledge about the
province and so implementing government programmes is like a walk in the
park for him.
“I joined the Ministry of Agriculture around 1993 as an extension officer in Beitbridge. Now, as the acting
director, one of my responsibilities is
to monitor the economic development
programmes and projects within Matabeleland South Province. Implementing government programmes and projects is not a challenge for me because
I fully understand where we are
coming from and where we are going,” says the ever-jovial MK.
Livestock production: The picture is looking very good
“Matabeleland South is a very
unique province,” says MK. “We
engage in all kinds of activities.
You will see farmers doing livestock – both dairy and beef – goats and
sheep. You will also see some farmers
doing poultry. On the other hand, you
will see farmers into cropping, maize,
traditional grains, horticulture and also
citrus plantations.
“We also have some conflicting activities such as mining. I say conflicting
because mining leads to land degradation. Even though mining is a cash cow,
it comes with a heavy cost to the environment. Worse still, most of the artisanal miners lack skills and education
on how to conduct their business in
an environmentally-friendly manner.
They leave behind lots of pits as well as
dangerous chemicals that they use to
purify their gold,” says MK, adding:
“In terms of livestock, under the
New Dispensation, the first port of call
was the introduction of what we call
Command Livestock. The government
realised that the number of farmers
who owned livestock in the province
was very small. Yes, in global statistical
terms, we owned a lot of livestock but
in terms of individual ownership, the
spread was very low.
“The government came in and we
distributed close to 10 000 heifers to
farming households in the province.
The heifers were distributed under a
long-term loan scheme. We were giving
three heifers to communal farmers. In
some instances, we gave about five heifers to communal farmers who demonstrated the potential to increase their
livestock.
“As for A2 and A1 farmers with adequate land for grazing, we distributed
five up to 10 heifers. This increased the
ownership of livestock in the province
and reduced poverty deaths. Chiefs
were given bulls as the Second Republic
moved in to boost livestock production
in the province. Indeed, no one and no
place is being left behind in terms of
development.
“In terms of dairy, the northern
part of the province is doing very well
because it enjoys good rains. We have
Umzingwane District where we have
the out-grower programme. Last season, dairy farmers in this district were
supported with silage from the Presidential Inputs Support Programme. We
saw farmers increasing milk deliveries
because there is now a milk processing
centre at Mawabeni.
“The silage from the Presidential
Inputs Support Scheme proved to be
a game-changer. We are grateful because the government realised the need
to capacitate the dairy farmers. We
have Wards 5, 13 and 20 in Umzingwane District that are doing very well
in terms of small dairy farming. Some
farmers have ventured into fodder
production to support the dairy farmers. The picture is looking very good.
Some farmers in Bulilima District are
also starting their own dairy projects,
taking a cue from their Umzingwane
counterparts. We are also supporting
these farmers through the Presidential
Inputs Support Scheme.”
Goat and poultry production picking
up very well
According to MK, even goat production is picking up in the province. He
explains:
“As for goats, our province is divided
into regions. We have the northern
side which is Region Four. In this
region goats don’t really do well.
Goats survive well in the southern region because they thrive in
very hot areas with erratic rains.
The southern region comprises
areas like Beitbridge, which have
the highest number of goats in the
province. There is also Gwanda, the
southern part, with the best quality
in terms of goat production. Then there
is Matobo South and Mangwe South,
where you get the best breeds.
“Farmers in these areas are doing
very well in terms of goat production.
Whenever there is a drought, farmers
sell their goats as a survival strategy.
The goats sell from as little as US$30 up
to about US$100. Goats in these areas
also treated as a source of petty cash.
Women can sell the goats to get money
to buy basic household needs. Above
all, there is no need to seek hubby’s permission before slaughtering a goat.
“On poultry, we are seeing quite a
number of public-private partnerships
in the province. For example, there is
the out-grower broiler programme in
Wards 15, 16, 17, 18 and 23 Matobo
District. A company called Sondelani
came in to partner with farmers. Farmers are given inputs in terms of ch
