Women urged to join feed and fodder production

Zimbabwean women have been urged to join the feed and fodder sector to improve productivity,  widen untapped market and arrest impacts of climate change whilst special focus will be on aggregation, contracting and raising investments.


Speaking this Thursday in Harare, Feed and Fodder Business Development Expert, David Maina has announced that women should be fully given an opportunity to showcase their capacity and capability to contribute towards economic development of their respective societies.

"It is important to consider and fully empower women by giving them opportunity to contribute towards growth of their economies through joining feed and fodder production as both investment and part of the value chain," Maina said.

"In the wake of El-Nino induced drought, women especially smallholder farmers, should devise means to improve and ensure resilience in terms of livestock production," Maina added.

"Women should also be actively and meaningfully involved in the enterprise which focuses on lucerne. On feed and fodder production, we are focusing on aggregation, contracting and raising investments," Maina added.

Meanwhile, Dr Sthokozile Sibanda who is the Director for Livestock Production and Development in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development has welcomed the partnership with other stakeholders under the African Union - InterAfrican Bureau for animal resources (AU-IBAR) describing the ongoing workshop as a relief to livestock farmers throughout the country.

"As you know that the country has lost a sizeable number of livestock as a result of El-Nino induced drought, it has come as a relief for formers who might have lost their herds through scarcity of feed and other essentials for livestock production," Sibanda said.

"This has been a platform for engagement on the value chain. As you know that livestock farmers depend heavily on feed and fodder, this would help in ensuring economic development," Sibanda added.

The reason why farmers should invest in feed and fodder is because; due to increasing reliance on cultivated fodder and manufactured feed there is need for climate variability (climate change), the untapped market potential where smallholder farmers dominate livestock production but lack access to affordable quality feed.

Concerning technological advancements, there is need to embrace emerging technologies for feed production and processing which offer growth opportunities.