BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Finally, government is distributing stock feed to drought stricken areas of Matabeleland South. The Department of Livestock Production and Development in Matabeleland South is coordinating deliveries while Veterinary Services is selling and receipting all the stock feed purchases in almost all the districts in the province.
Speaking at the Matabeleland South Drought Mitigation Committee meeting in Gwanda during the week, the chairperson, Mrs Simangaphi Ngwabi said the committee consulted widely in each district before arriving on these distribution points, Beitbridge: Topolo, Luthumba, Chituripasi, Chasvingo, and Zezani. Gwanda:Manama, Hwali, Ntalale, Buvuma and ZRP Mlambapheli. Mangwe: Madabe, Brunapeg, Mayobodo and Marula. Bulilima: Moza, Madlambuzi, Ndolwane, Somnene and Dombodema. Matobo: Homestead, Matopo Research station, Nathisa and Kezi.
Clearly the government is sending a signal that farmers are in business therefore they must meet the cost of production. There is very little money to spare; hence government has created a revolving fund that is inexhaustible if farmers hold their end of the stick.
Mrs Ngwabi said the cost of the survival feed is $11.00 per bag. All delivery points will receive 30 tonnes. Some feed has already arrived in these areas and particularly in Hwali, the feed was reportedly finished by the time she made these announcements on Thursday last week. She pointed out that there was strong community participation in meeting the cost of those offloading the stock feed and providing security services.
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| Dr Mbuso Moyo and Muhle Masuku appreciate stock feed delivered in Mangwe District |
Some people said it is a drop in the ocean, well, half a loaf is better than none. I am not sure how I would have described this government if we had received the first rains without any form of help. It is not secrete that I have said this kind of help should have come much earlier, but better late than never.
My primary concern is the consistency of deliveries. Animals will be collected from cattle posts (emilageni) far away from homes for feeding, only for the feed to arrive one, two or even three weeks later. The farmer would lose his money and cattle at the same time.
That point is closely followed by that of the distance to watering points. What kills most animals is the energy sapping distances to and from watering points. That destroys the essence of feeding livestock.
Stock feed must not be sold to farmers without some form of guidance on how they can do it. This supplementary feeding must be controlled lest it has no impact at all. You cannot expect any positive results from feeding hundred animals on one bag. This is likened to a husband who sends the wife to collect ARVs because he is too shy to do it. When the wife returns he asks her to split the pill into two. The couple eventually dies: relatives and friends heap the blame on non functional ARVs.
Cattle in some areas are far past saleability because they are severely emaciated, and the problem is how farmers can raise enough money to buy stock feed. This scheme does not address the issue of poor farmers but rather it condemns them to perennial poverty.
I am reliably informed that some rich and famous confidence trick star in Beitbridge bought a big chunk of the consignment through poor farmers who could not afford the feed. He will start selling the feed at a higher price once the government feed runs out. No law can prevent such people from doing what he did, but I think we should give each other chances to buy unless one is Lucifer’s disciple. Phela yikuloya lokho
The revolving fund must not disappear by the onset of the first rains. Droughts are part of us now; therefore we cannot afford to be reactive. Let us start planning for many years ahead. That means we must think about permanent arrangements and not to cry every drought year.
Let us not be confined to what the government can do but to what we can do without the aid of government. Ukumelela uhulumende kuyasibulala. My late friend had an unusual way of dealing with a maths problem at school. “Untaught,” he would justify his failure. Let us not justify our lack of initiative by pointing at the government because its body language suggests that it is dancing to a different and weird tune.
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