1 million chicks, 7 000 goats for free!

MORE than 110 000 rural households have received over 1, 1 million indigenous chicks and about 7 000 goats countrywide in the last 14 months as part of Government's programme to guarantee food security and national nutritional requirements through enhancing small livestock production.

The birds and animals are being distributed free of charge to support three million beneficiaries under the Presidential Rural Poultry Scheme, and 600 000 vulnerable households under the Presidential Goat Pass-On Scheme, with both programmes running until 2025.

Each rural household gets 10 indigenous chicks that are four weeks old and a female goat, while each of the 35 000 villages in the country are receiving one buck.

Distribution commenced in September 2022 and beneficiaries are expected to pass on to the next recipients when breeds give birth.

This is part of the Rural Development 8.0 programme, which is marked by a set of inclusive, development-oriented interventions targeting crop and livestock sub-sectors to ensure household nutrition and income security by 2025.

In an interview, acting director for Livestock Production and Development in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Mr Munyaradzi Chimowa said the distribution is going on smoothly.

"Government is determined in making sure there is food security everywhere, leaving no one behind. Distribution is ongoing.

"To date, we have distributed a total of 1 157 453 indigenous chicks to 115 745 households under the Presidential Rural Poultry Scheme while a total of 6 897 goats have been distributed under the Presidential Goat Pass-On Scheme," said Mr Chimowa.

Small livestock, he said, are climate-smart due to resilience to droughts and will improve rural livelihoods.

"Small stock production has several advantages like quick turnover compared to large stock.

"A rural chicken can produce two to three clutches per year with good management, with each clutch producing, on average, eight birds. By year-end, a household can have 32 birds from stock received from the scheme, while the first clutch would also be laying already.

"For goats, a household is expected to have three young goats in two years, with the first kids also starting to breed in the second year."

With the entire Southern Africa region set to face food challenges due to the El Niño-induced drought, the authorities have accelerated small livestock distribution as a climate-smart alternative to cattle.

In the past three weeks, Zimbabwe has lost more than 8 000 cattle.

Indigenous goats and chicks are regarded as having the capacity to provide adequate and reliable supplies of healthy and nutritious food, whilst creating employment opportunities in the whole food chain as the world faces climate change.

Government is currently conducting farmer training countrywide through mobile and equipped extension officers to inculcate business principles in livestock farmers.

Plans are also underway to have provincial stock multiplication centres and rural feed producers closer to the areas of need to cut costs for farmers.

Livestock and Meat Advisory Council executive administrator Dr Chrispen Sukume said farmers need to take up training programmes being implemented by the Government to improve their livestock operations.

"There is need for creation of fodder banks that will mitigate against the negative impact of El Niño. The farmer has to plant his pasture, cut grass for hay and do ration formulation using locally available materials," said Dr Sukume.