SDT launches cattle fattening project in Binga

A local non-governmental organisation, Siabuwa Development Trust (SDT), has embarked on a cattle-fattening project in a bid to alleviate poverty and create employment in Binga.

The NGO's project manager, Mr Zinsuko Ndlovu, said livestock could sustain lives of people in rural areas if reared for commercial purposes.

He said the project was supposed to generate income and provide employment opportunities for youths in the district.

"We identified a group of people who comprise mostly of youths whom we are teaching how to take care of their beasts.

"We also teach them how to grade and market their animals as the project is meant to generate income for them," he said.

He said they targeted youths because they were the most affected by unemployment and were tomorrow's leaders.

Mr Ndlovu urged livestock farmers to make sure that their animals were always healthy so that they were easily graded and fetched competitive prices on the market.

"Livestock farmers should dip their animals regularly so as to do away with ticks. Now that we are approaching summer it is essential for them to vaccinate the animals as prevention is far much better than cure," he said.

"We decided to target the youth as our main group due to the fact that they are the most affected in terms of unemployment and they are tomorrow's leaders for a better future," he said.

"With at least 70 percent of the national population based in rural areas, we are convinced a biased investment in rural communities would accelerate national growth," he said.

He said the project was the first of its kind in the district and if successful, it would be spread to other parts of the country.