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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with Government is rolling out an artificial insemination programme in Beitbridge under a three-year Zimbabwe Resilience Programme to boost livestock production in the area.

The project, which is being supervised by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement, is being implemented in the district’s 14 wards. It started late last year and will wind up in 2020.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is leading the implementation of the programme that is being rolled out by a consortium made up of Cesvi, Matopos Research Centre and Biohub.

Beitbridge District agronomist Mr Masauso Mawocha said so far they had attended to 138 cattle and are targeting at least 550 at the end of this year.

“We are rolling out the programme in 14 rural wards, exceptWard 14 (Mazunga).

“So far a total of 200 have been offered for the programme and we have attended to 138. Our target for this year is to deal with at least 550.

“You will note that this is a cattle country where post people rely on livestock production as a source of livelihood.

“It is important that we improve the quality of the cattle for them to get value for their money and to also hence the breeds,” he said.

He said though the project was going according to plan, they had challenges in terms of non-cycling animals which might be as a result of diseases.

Mr Mawocha said they were also worried at the poor livestock condition, which might result in some of the animals failing to conceive.

It is also understood that the Zimbabwe Resilience Programme will also see the rehabilitation of nine irrigation projects in Beitbridge District.

These are Bili, Shashe, Jalukanga, Dombolidenje, River Ranch, Tongwe, Kwalu, Tshikwalakwala and Ndambe 2.