Farmers to claim offals, hides, heads, and hooves at Zimbabwe abattoirs

Livestock farmers will soon be able to reclaim the full value of their animals - including offals, hides, heads and hooves - after slaughter, as Government moves to amend Statutory Instrument (SI) 182 of 2000 on Agricultural Products Marketing (Livestock/Carcass Classification and Grading) Regulations.

The longstanding colonial-era practice, commonly known as the "fifth quarter system," has for years seen abattoirs taking these by-products for free, depriving farmers of additional income streams.

But that could soon change, with amendments to the law now at an advanced stage, according to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri.

"As the Government, we are working towards resolving the issue to ensure farmers are protected and they get the full value of their beast, including selling the hides to the leather industry, among other by-products," said Prof Jiri in response to questions from the Zimpapers Business Hub.

He explained that the current regulation was silent on the matter, which led to the exploitation of farmers by abattoirs. However, the proposed amendment now explicitly addresses the ownership of the fifth quarter.

"SI 182 of 2000 was silent on the fifth quarter system, so we can say there was no law that talks about it. However, it has now been included in the proposed amendment to SI 182 of 2000 in Section 16 sub-section (3)," he said.

The amended clause will state:

"When a farmer or producer brings his/her livestock for slaughter at an abattoir, the fifth quarter remains the farmer's or the producer's unless the abattoir operator fetches the animals from the rural areas where an auction would have taken place."

Farmers have long decried the fifth quarter system as an unjust practice that denied them fair returns, especially given the commercial value of hides and offals in industries like leather manufacturing and glycerine production.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) vice president Mr Winston Babbage welcomed the amendment, saying it would help establish a more equitable livestock value chain.

"The fifth quarter system is a big issue where the farmer is only getting the carcass, while the hide and the fats are taken by abattoirs for free," he said.

"It's like farmers do all the work and get nothing from the by-products, which are sold or processed into valuable commodities."

Livestock Farmers Union chairperson Mr Sifiso Sibanda echoed similar sentiments, describing the practice as exploitative and outdated.

"We need the Government to intervene and remove the regulation where abattoirs take offals, hides, heads and hooves for free under the fifth quarter," he said.

"This should be retained by farmers because it has value. Abattoirs sell these parts, they do not give them away for free."

Mr Sibanda also noted that the current system has worsened the financial strain on livestock farmers, many of whom are still reeling from the effects of last year's El Niño-induced drought - one of the worst in decades - which resulted in over 40,000 cattle deaths nationally, with Matabeleland being the hardest hit.

Calls for Fair Pricing and Grading Systems

In addition to the fifth quarter issue, farmers are also calling for a transparent and standardised pricing system for livestock. Currently, buyers often set arbitrary prices without proper grading or weighing.

Mr Sibanda said:

"We need a livestock grading system that ensures animals are properly weighed and graded into super, choice and economy classes before being sold. Farmers deserve to know the true value of their animals."

The proposed amendment, once enacted, is expected to improve the viability of livestock farming, enhance transparency in the meat value chain, and promote fair trade practices - key goals in the Government's broader strategy to revitalise the agricultural sector.