Anthony Mutenda seen here posing with some of the crops he uses as supplementary feed for his goats.
Located just over 220 kilometres
north east of Harare, Mudzi is one of the hottest and driest districts in
Zimbabwe, incessant droughts have ravaged the district resulting in food
insecurity for humans and livestock alike. Most sources of water have disappeared
and grazing land for livestock is depleted. Many in the district have resorted
to rearing goats as a coping strategy and cushion against the adverse impacts
of the droughts.
One such farmer is Anthony
Mutenda from Ward 17, Mukota D who boasts of a 64-doe unit from a total of 96
goats. In response to the shortage of good pastures, Mutenda resorted to
planting fodder to supplement feed for his bulging herd of goats.
“I procured some seeds that I
planted as fodder to supplement my goat herd, these include velvet beans,
lab-lab, cow peas as well as baobab fruit which I roast and mix with other
locally available feed materials,” said Mutenda.
This good agricultural practise
has ensured that Mutenda is able to continue his goat business given the
increasing price of feeds obtaining in the market. The proceeds Mutenda is making,
are enabling him to reinvest in his goat business while meeting his financial
commitments such as children’s tuition fees. Mutenda was selected to be one of
the 1000 anchor farmers in the 12 districts where the goat value chain
component of the Value Chain Alliance for Livestock Upgrading and Empowerment
(VALUE) project is being implemented.
The project is investing in
centres of excellence – goat improvement centres where fodder plots will be
planted and irrigated by solar powered boreholes to make supplements easily
accessible to goat farmers in each district.
In addition, in collaboration
with Grasslands and Matopos Research Institutes the project will undertake a
research on alternative affordable fodder crops.
Watch video of Mutenda here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=203C1jyAPzA