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Leonard Ncube–Victoria Falls Bureau

LUPANE District, well-known for its hardwood teak forests, could soon become the country’s leading supplier of beef and eggs if a cattle and chicken project being spearheaded by a local businessman comes to fruition.

Mr Brilliant Ncube (39), the founder and owner of Kingdom Blue Funeral Service, 18 months ago started buying heifers, which he keeps on free range at his homestead in Mathambo area.

The herd has grown to 104 and his target is to reach 5 000 with 2 000 on free range and 3 000 under pen fattening for slaughter.

These would feed into butcheries that he plans to establish countrywide. Mr Ncube is already working on establishing an abattoir and cold rooms at the homestead from where he will supply the whole country with beef.

Complementing the cattle-to-beef project is a prototype chicken project with 540 layers, targeting to clock 30 000 after six months.

Mr Ncube plans to supply eggs to the tourism industry in the province and beyond.

The news crew recently visited Mr Ncube’s neatly built homestead, which the community calls “The Palace” because of its unique structures in the deep rural setting and observed the large herd of cattle.

There is a massive chicken run with the 540 layers and Mr Ncube says construction of other structures to put more chickens will start soon.

If successful, the projects could see Lupane and Matabeleland North becoming the jewel of Zimbabwe to reverse the stigma of underdevelopment.

Livestock is a big investment and source of food safety and nutrition in this part of the country. Estimates already suggest that Matabeleland North has more than 700 000 cattle with the potential to grow further if good husbandry practices are adopted.

“What’s happening here at Mazheke palace is farming. We have cattle and chickens,” said Mr Ncube in an interview. Mazheke is his family name.

Married to two wives, Mr Ncube said his wives are the ones running the chicken business while he focuses on cattle rearing.

“So far, we have 540 layers as a pilot project and they want to have more than 30 000. They are monitoring the project to see how productive it can be and if it can be able to supply the market,” said the youthful entrepreneur. 

“So, after six months we will be having a proper understanding of how we would supply the market and build more fowl runs for the 30 000 chickens.

“I am concentrating on cattle and we started buying cattle about 18 months ago. All the cattle you see here save for calves we bought them.”

With 104 beasts so far, Mr Ncube is focused on the target of clocking 5 000 and saturating the national market.

“There will be a lot of business activity here. At this homestead we are going to have an abattoir where we would slaughter, have cold rooms to store and supply from here,” he added. 

“We want to start a butcheries project across the country and we won’t sell live beasts.”

Mr Ncube’s cattle graze freely in the nearby forestry land while a feedlot has been prepared where some pastures will be grown for the pen fattening project. 

Already over 40 jobs have been created at the homestead for the local villagers.

Once the fattening project starts and egg production is expanded, there will be more than 300 job opportunities, a huge contribution to the Second Republic’s development agenda and Vision for an Upper Middle Income Society by 2030, said Mr Ncube.

“We believe this will be something good for Lupane. We are happy to be doing something for our community. The country is striving to achieve its goals and as we are building an abattoir, we want to create employment and make sure that those people that are surviving on less than a dollar a day their lives will be changed in the next coming years,” he said. 

“Come 2030, believe me, no one will be in poverty. We want to eradicate that.”

Mr Ncube said as the private sector they were taking the Government’s drive seriously hence creating jobs to improve people lives was no option.

He said he applies veterinary guidelines to ensure good animal health for his herd at a time when many farmers are being hit by the deadly Theileriosis or January disease.

His herd is made up of Brahman and indigenous breeds with supplementary feeding for calving cows. Mr Ncube said he got the inspiration to start the cattle and beef business after studying the market trends. 

His homestead has a solar-powered borehole system, which also supplies the whole community.

A product of Mathambo Primary School in Lupane and Mpumelelo Secondary in Zenka area of Nkayi where he transferred to after the death of his father when he started Form 1, Mr Ncube has paid tribute to the community for good working relations.

He organised a field day at his homestead last week to share his experiences and vision with veterinary services officers and get expert advice as he implements the project.

Mr Matron Moyo, one of the villagers employed at the homestead commended the Ncube family for contributing to the transformation of livelihoods in the community.

A neighbour from village 24B, Ms Tendai Ndlovu said women were the biggest beneficiaries as they no longer walk long distances in search of water for domestic consumption.

Mr Ncube’s uncle Mr Bongani Ncube is the project manager.