The Zimbabwean government plans to import cattle breeds from South Africa and France in an effort to strengthen local cattle breeds and boost export beef quality, according to state-owned newspaper, the Sunday Mail.
“Local breeds need to blend with foreign ones to make hybrids that are resistant to disease and have considerable size,” Zimbabwe’s Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development minister, Joseph Made, told the state-owned publication. “Ultimately, this will make good quality beef for exports.”
According to Made, all vaccines and medicines required in livestock-rearing – as well as the requisite infrastructure – have already been acquired and put in place.
The imports will be carried out under government’s new Command Livestock Scheme in an effort to bring Zimbabwe’s annual beef exports back to 14 000 tonnes, which was last achieved in 1999.
“The programme will see our national herd improve every year, and consequently, exports to Europe and South Africa will increase,” said Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union president, Wonder Chabikwa.
A number of ranchers have reportedly already completed paddocking and pasture development in preparation for the scheme.
