Staff Reporter

Cabinet hailed the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development for the successful implementation of the Presidential Dipping Program, which has helped to ease livestock diseases, leading to an increase in livestock.

Speaking during the eleventh Cabinet briefing yesterday, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa said, “The assessment indicates an improvement in the livestock sector. This is attributable to the successful implementation of the Presidential Dipping Program which is being complemented by the Tick Blitz exercise which continues to have a positive knock on tick borne disease.”

Furthermore, the national beef cattle herd increased from 5 478 648 cattle in the previous season to 5 509 983 and the average cattle mortality rate decreased from 11 percent in 2020 to 9 percent in 2021.

Also the milk production had also increased by 4 percent from the 76 695 196 litres in 2021 compared to 71.4 million recorded in 2020 which is a 28 percent increase.

Meanwhile, the broiler meat production increased from 111 600 metric tonnes in 2020 to 143 500 metric tonnes in 2021, bigger credit being apportioned to the small scale holders who continue to dominate broiler meat production and account for 75 percent of the meat which is being produced, while egg production had increased by a percentage point of 59.7 million dozen from the new high of 59.3 million dozen in 2020.

Minister Mutsvangwa took the opportunity to inform the nation that there is enough maize stock to cater for the nation despite the decline in production owing to the vagaries of the weather.