Staff Reporter
Government will introduce a Presidential Rural Poultry Pass-on Scheme, which seeks to commercialize rural poultry production, thereby providing an affordable source of protein and increasing rural household incomes, a Government official has said.
Addressing the media during a Post Cabinet Press Briefing in Harare yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the Scheme intends to distribute rural poultry chicks to at least 1.8 million rural households over a period of five years.
Minister Mutsvangwa revealed that another programme to be carried out was the Goats Pass-On Scheme, which would see a total of 600 000 does and 40 000 bucks being equitably distributed to 600 000 households in all the country’s 8 rural provinces in 2021.
“The programme will result in 1.8 million rural households benefiting by 2023.” she said.
The other programmes to be introduced by the Government include the Silage and Pasture Production for Enhanced Milk Production and the Veterinary Public Health Programme, in order to improve quality and quantity of livestock as well as improve milk production.
The Minister also said the strategic objective of the 2021-2022 Livestock Development Plan was to sustainably increase livestock production and productivity to meet and surpass the national requirements for both human consumption and industrial use.
“This will be achieved through implementation of programmes under the Livestock Recovery and Growth Plan such as climate-proofed livestock production, involving the private and financial services sectors; access to forage and pastures; capacitating the livestock and veterinary extension and advisory service delivery system, and strengthening Government-wide coordination, monitoring and evaluation,” said the Minister.
She further revealed that the Fisheries and Aquaculture Growth Plan will be implemented and will result in 60 fish ponds being developed at irrigation schemes in the country’s districts, while 6 cage projects will be established at the Muchekeranwa, Osborne, Mutirikwi, Nerutanga, Marovanyati and Chivhu dams.
“The benefits of these programmes and projects will accrue directly to the individual households, thereby raising their standards of living,” she said.
Cabinet also approved a raft of measures that will transform the agricultural sector once implemented. Farmers are urged to approach their Agricultural Extension Workers for the finer details of these programmes.
