The Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union (ZCFU) is lobbying government to release funds for cattle restocking in Matabeleland, to enable the farmers to supply the Cold Storage Company (CSC), it has been learnt.
This comes in the wake of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the CSC and Botswana two weeks ago for the importation of about 30 000 cattle for direct slaughter at CSC abattoirs in Bulawayo.
The importation of cattle from Botswana has angered local farmers who charged the move was a deliberate ploy to put them out of business.
In an interview on Thursday, ZCFU president Donald Khumalo said there was no need for CSC to import cattle from Botswana.
“We want to engage the Minister of Agriculture, Joseph Made, and the Minister of Finance, Tendai Biti, and push them to release funds to beef up the local herd,” he said.
“There is no reason for CSC to be getting cattle from Botswana when we have cattle in the country.”
Khumalo said the next herd of cattle to be slaughtered at the Bulawayo abattoirs should come from the national herd.
In the MoU signed between Zimbabwe and Botswana, the two countries also agreed to work together in controlling foot-and-mouth diseases (FMD) along the border zones within the 40km radius.
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The slaughter process began on July 6 and the beef would be sold on the local market.
Official statistics indicate that Matabeleland South has 530 478 cattle while Matabeleland North has 551 858.
Out of 5 156 753 cattle in the country, Masvingo is sitting at the top with 997 634 beasts.
