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Elton Manguwo

THE livestock sector has hit a purple patch with recent auction sales raking in huge financial rewards, which saw cumulative average revenues breaching US$641, 032 from transactions involving 254 animals.

This comes on the backdrop of the Zimbabwe Herd Book (ZHB) registering a net increase of 17 new breeders over the course of the year with the total number of breeders scaling to 237 and working across 18 different livestock breeds that include one for sheep, goats 2, dairy 1 and beef 14. ZHB indicates 25 289 individual animals are registered across various breeding programmes.

This substantial growth in livestock population demonstrates the breadth and scale of the country’s breeding industry, which plays an important role in the development and genetic improvement of Zimbabwe’s valuable animal genetic resources.

Essentially, the development has boosted confidence in the country’s livestock sector especially in the wake of a successful series of cattle auction sales both regionally and across the country.

In an interview the Livestock and Meat Advisory Council (LAMC) executive administrator Dr Reneth Mano said the series of cattle auction sales held recently were a colossal success for the livestock industry.

“Beyond the headline figures, the robust performance of these auction sales also signals growing confidence among industry participants in the long-term prospects of the livestock sector,” said Dr Mano highlighting how the positive results would lay the foundation for the development and modernisation of the industry.

Recently, a Zimbabwean rancher and Boran breeder, Mr Collen Tafireyi a bought a US$444 000 stud bull at Hurwitz Farming Production auction at the Bull Ring Auction House in Davel, Mpumalanga, South Africa.

“This remarkable achievement underscores the continued strength and resilience of the regional cattle breeding and trading markets as the strong buyer demand and willingness to invest substantial sums for quality livestock reflects the inherent value that these animals hold for beef production and herd improvement,” said Dr Mano.

The pedigree cattle industry has made significant progress over the past year in improving its key performance matrix particularly when it comes to critical measures such as the average number of days to first calving and the interval between successive calvings.

ZHB chairman Mr Anne Cooke attributed the positive results to the growing incorporation of estimated breeding values (EBVs) into the day-to-day management practices of stud breeding operations.

“As we have begun to extensively utilise these EBV tools, we are now starting to realise tangible benefits in the form of enhanced reproductive efficiencies across our pedigree cattle herds,” said Mr Cooke.

The progress achieved in paramount areas of herd performance demonstrates that the pedigree cattle industry is successfully leveraging scientific data and quantitative genetics to drive meaningful advancements.

“The positive reception and strong market demand at the recent auction for the top-tier breeding animals highlighted that the event provides the entire stud breeding community with ample reason to celebrate their collective achievements,” said Mr Cooke.