Chief Dakamela appeals for stockfeed

Chief Mbusi Dakamela of Nkayi has urged the government to provide stockfeed to support livestock during the ongoing El Niño-induced drought. The drought has led to severe shortages of pastures and water, threatening the livelihoods of local communities reliant on livestock.

Chief Dakamela expressed frustration that while the government has offered food aid through social welfare programs, there has been no equivalent support for stockfeed. He highlighted the prohibitive cost of stockfeed, making it difficult for rural communities to afford it, and noted that the value of livestock has decreased as a result.

Efforts from organizations like Amalima Loko and Hefo Community have focused on providing food and drilling boreholes for water, but stockfeed remains a critical need. The chief warned of a potential return to the devastating conditions of 2019, when many cattle were lost.

In response, Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development Anxious Masuka announced that the government has secured 15,000 metric tonnes of silage, molasses, and 8,800 metric tonnes of maize unfit for human consumption as part of its drought response. Additionally, the government plans to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of these measures through a new drought mitigation tracking tool. President Emmerson Mnangagwa had previously declared the drought a state of national disaster, aiming to mobilize $3 billion in assistance.