Farmers Voices Edition 2023 Issue 16

1 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute Powered by FOCUS ON TRADITIONAL SEEDS TRADITIONAL seed varieties continue to receive due credit for the important role they play in sustainable farming practices with Mbire district recently holding the first ever traditional seed and food festival to underscore the need for communities to embrace them. Fambidzanai Permaculture Centre (FPC) of Harare organised the event with support from the Lush and Lush Spring Prize. It provided a knowledge exchange and learning platform on the value of utilising local seed varieties, bringing together farmers, agriculture experts and ordinary members of the community. FPC communications officer, Mr Justice Ncube said they decided to conduct the event in Mbire for the first time to appreciate cultural heritage as well as reward communities for cultivating and consuming local seeds and foods for generations. ―Local seed varieties and traditional knowledge are under threat from various factors such as climate change, land degradation, urbanisation, industrialisation, market forces and loss of cultural identity,‖ he said. Local seed varieties and traditional knowledge represent the adaptation and resilience of local farmers to the changing environmental and socioeconomic conditions. ―One way to preserve and promote seed varieties is to celebrate, document and integrate them into research, education and training for posterity. This would help to raise awareness and appreciation of their value among different stakeholders such as researchers, extension workers, policymakers, educators and consumers,‖ he said. WhatsApp +263773376128 WEEKLY EDITION 2023 ISSUE 16 TUE 25 JULY 2023 The Leading Agricultur FARMERS VOICES e Information Portal Call +263 773 376 128 COMMODITY PRICES Grains & Food

2 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 Seed varieties that were exhibited include ground nuts, bambara nuts, cowpeas, pearl millet, finger millet, open pollinated maize varieties, sweet reeds and many more. ―Through seed, food displays and exhibitions, young smallholder farmers had an opportunity to exchange recipes as well as the knowledge around production and market linkages. They also got a chance to interact and create networks with buyers, consumers, and other stakeholders. ―We want to continue scaling up the event within and beyond our borders. Seeing all communities in Zimbabwe joining this bandwagon of local seed and food custodianship is one of our long-term plans and we have plans of joining hands with more partners and stakeholders,‖ said Mr Ncube. FPC has always maintained that farmers‘ poor yields were a result of climate change, infertile soils, pests and disease, which are now things of the past thanks to the adoption of permaculture. Permaculture is a holistic approach to land management that aims to create productive and resilient ecosystems that meet human needs while enhancing biodiversity and environmental health. Mr Ncube cited the success story of Evergreen Organic Horticulture Association (EOHA) of Nyanga that has since found refuge in permaculture to escape the problem of climate change, poor soils and lack of sustainable gardening knowledge. ―The association is one of the many success stories of smallholder farmer groups that have benefited from permaculture techniques. Their oneyear-old garden has allowed group members to produce vegetables for their families and sell surplus on the local market. ―Soon, the group plans to diversify its garden activities by including aquaculture, agro-forestry and apiculture,‖ he said. The association‘s chairperson Ms Julia Mukwaire said they faced challenges of feeding their families as production was affected by lack of sustainable gardening knowledge, funds to purchase inputs and poor soils. ―With permaculture we do not lose much money through procurement of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides since we use natural resources and solutions within our vicinity to regenerate the soil and eradicate pest and disease problems. ―Organic foods are also very healthy and beneficial to our well-being,‖ she said. COMMODITY PRICES COMMODITY PRICES Maize, Wheat, Barley, Soyabean to be Traded on ZMX, as Trading of all Grains has been Liberalised Through SI 129 and SI130 of 2023, the Gvt has liberalized the trading of all grain commodities and they can now be freely exchanged through the Zimbabwe Mercantile Exchange. This is positive as private players can freely trade agricultural commodities that were once sold to the Grain Marketing Board. Farmers and private players can now freely trade commodities such as Wheat, Soyabean, Barley and other grains. The Gvt has shown strong to develop an organized market for key crops which bring confidence in both the financing and , production and trading of agricultural commodities of which the ZMX is the key platform

3 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023

4 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 TOBACCO MARKETING SEASON CLOSES THE tobacco 2023 tobacco marketing season is set to end on 31 July and the final auction mop-up sales are planned for 30 August with an estimated 290,4 million kilograms of tobacco sold to date. The Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Dr Anxious Jongwe Masuka approved the closure period. ―After consultations with all stakeholders, the Board wishes to advise that the official date of closure for the 2023 auction floors is 31 July. However, growers will still be able to sell their auction tobacco through a mop-up sale. The final auction clean up sales will be held on Wednesday 30 August 2023,‖ the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) said in a notice on Monday. Contract sales will continue to operate until such a time when individual contractors have fully received all their tobacco. Meanwhile, a total of 290,4 million kilograms of tobacco have gone under the hammer since the start of the selling season raking in US$880 million compared to US$605 million in the corresponding period last year. Last week, TIMB said during the same period last year 198,3 million kg were sold at the auction floors. The latest statistics indicate that 270,5 million kg have so far been sold through the contract arrangement while 19,9 million kgs have come through the auction arrangement. The average price was at US$3,03 per kg compared to US$3,05 during the same period last year. Tobacco farmers retain 85 percent in forex while the balance is paid in Zimbabwe dollars. The increase in foreign currency retention by the tobacco growers is part of a broader strategy by the Government to ramp up output to a national target of 300 million kg by 2025. This is key in the broader national strategy of an upper middleincome economy by 2030. Last year, tobacco growers were paid 75 percent in forex while the balance was in local currency. Through the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan, Zimbabwe aims to build the industry into a US$5 billion economy by 2025. Tobacco is Zimbabwe‘s agricultural major foreign currency earner after raking US$800 million the whole of 2021. Rabbit $/rabbit COMMODITY PRICES Cash crops

5 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 TIMB TO INSPECT FARMS FOR UNDESTROYED STALKS GOVERNMENT, in partnership with the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB), will be carrying out farm inspections to ensure farmers have adequately destroyed stalk from the previous season in line with the Plant Pests and Diseases Act (chapter 19:08). In a statement, TIMB said it would work with Government to conduct inspections on all fields and compile a list of all non-complaint farmers. The Plant Pests and Diseases Act requires that tobacco stalks be destroyed by May 15 of every year. In light of this, tobacco growers are being reminded that all tobacco stalks should have been destroyed by now to avoid carrying over diseases and pests to the next crop. TIMB has introduced measures to ensure destruction of stalks, a move that will ensure compliance with set rules for the development of the sector. With the transplanting of tobacco for the coming season set for September 1, farmers are warned to destroy the stalks before planting commences. TIMB said if 10 percent of the contracted farmers are noncompliant, the responsible contractor will be penalised or suspended from operations until they fully comply. The statement said farmers who do not destroy their stalks will pay a fine not exceeding US$100 or local currency equivalent for each hectare. Any grower who has not destroyed tobacco stalks and has been contracted will be de-contracted from the scheme, read the statement. Zimbabwe has a long history of tobacco production and is ranked as one of the world‘s largest tobacco producers therefore effective cooperation between industry players is key for growth. In this current marketing season, over 280 million kilogrammes of tobacco have been sold, setting the record for the highest volume of tobacco produced in the country. Given that production has increased, TIMB is urging industry players to take all the precautions to sustain the production volumes and ensure the country reaches the target of 300 million kilogrammes by 2025. The board urged the Government to increase focus on programmes on sustainable tobacco growing and curing practices. The Government and the private sector have been rolling out trainings to tobacco growers for quality control. TIMB is keen on supporting training programmes in current best practice as advised by agronomists and other stakeholders. TIMB is also partnering with Tobacco Research Board (TRB) to improve sustainable production in the sector by providing tobacco farmers with free gum tree seedlings and support as they push farmers to plant trees this farming season. HARARE BULAWAYO WEATHER UPDATE Cash crops

6 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 ‘MORE FARMERS SHOULD GROW SHISHA TOBACCO’ More growers should take up production of the shisha tobacco varieties this season says the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) following better opportunities as exports of this variety can easily increase. Shisha tobacco deliveries for the current season have so far reached over 100 000kg, a positive step towards transforming people‘s livelihoods in the tobacco industry. This type of tobacco is consumed using a device called a hookah or water pipe. A hookah or waterpipe is a single or multi-stemmed instrument for heating or vaporising and then smoking the tobacco. An individual pulls from a pipe, and then the smoke is passed through a water basin, often glass-based, before inhalation. It is exceptionally popular in the Middle East and the advent of the modern shisha varieties of tobacco in the last few decades has boosted the popularity. The modern varieties are a thinner leaf and are milder, with less nicotine since the pipe produces more smoke with each puff. The variety still needs to be flue cured, but more carefully. Farmers from different parts of Zimbabwe are selling shisha tobacco for the very first time in the country‘s history and majority are willing to grow the crop in the next season. TIMB public relations officer, Mrs Chelesani Tsarwe, said the target is to expand production in slow growing areas. ―This season has been for learning and development of a better shisha crop. With TIMB‘s support, merchant Cavendish Lloyd is looking for adventurous, experienced and dedicated growers that seek to maximize their production by growing the highly profitable but low-cost shisha-type tobacco during the 2023- 2024 season,‖ she said. In the just finished production season, shisha was grown in Mashonaland East and in Karoi area of Mashonaland West. Mrs Tsarwe said Cavendish Lloyd is targeting to have 1000 hectares of shisha tobacco for the coming production season. Cavendish Lloyd is the licensed contractor that is supporting the production of shisha and has agronomists who train interested farmers. Latest statistics from TIMB indicate that 100 169 kg of shisha tobacco valued at US $318, 552 were so far sold. Shisha tobacco requires a little over half as much fertiliser as other varieties and does not require topping making it cheaper to produce yet it has higher prices therefore, farmers stand to get more from shisha. Tobacco Farmers Union Trust president Mr Victor Mariranyika also commended more farmers to grow shisha tobacco indicating that there is low cost of production adding that the prices offered at the floors is so far good. ‗‘Shisha tobacco is easier to grow compared to flue-cured tobacco. It requires less fertiliser than flue-cured tobacco and even the prices we are happy with, so it‘s good to grow the crop,‖ he said. Recently when The Herald visited the tobacco floors ,shisha tobacco farmers were so excited with the crop MUTARE GWERU WEATHER UPDATE Cash crops

7 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 adding that the majority of them will improve hectarage in the next season. A Mutorashanga farmer, Mr Moses Machine, said he is so far happy growing this type of tobacco adding that there are many benefits associated with the crop. Mr Machine said he is expecting to bring 400 bales to the floors. ―There are several advantages associated with growing this type of crop. Plant population will double the Virginia tobacco. Shisha uses less fertiliser. ―Since it is the first year we are not sure where the viability is but with time we are going to have a proper analysis. ―There is use of less labour and fertilisers. In terms of costs of production there is a difference compared to the Virginia one. Shisha production seeks to transform the tobacco industry, improve the livelihoods of farmers and boost the economy. COTTCO PAYS FARMERS US$8M FOR DELIVERIES THE Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco) has so far paid US$8 million dollars to farmers for this year‘s cotton deliveries, the company‘s acting principal officer Munyaradzi Chikasha. In an interview, Mr Chikasha said 54 000 tonnes of the crop had been delivered as of Thursday last week, leaving the company with US$13 million in outstanding payments. ―We have started ginning and we are hoping to clear all outstanding balances using revenue from lint sales,‖ said Mr Chikasha in an interview. About two weeks ago, Cottco chairman Mr Sifelani Jabangwe said despite the company having facilities with banks, it was struggling to pay due to the prevailing liquidity constraints. Meanwhile, Mr Chikasha said the company was taking a prudent spending approach to avoid carryover debts. ―We are being prudent…managing the little resources we have because we are avoiding a situation of debt carryovers since it affects our cash flows,‖ said Mr Chikasha. This year, the company had a debt carryover of US$8 million and has been for the past two months struggling to pay the workers and suppliers. The company has however substantially reduced its debt to US$600 000 from the old facilities, Mr Chikasha said. He said the company had also managed to mobilise funds to pay salaries for May and June ―As for salaries, we managed to mobilize resources for May salaries, and the workers were paid on Monday (last week) and this week, we should settle June obligations.‖ Cottco‘s intake is expected at about 90 000 tonnes, almost double last year‘s volume. The national output, including from private merchants, is estimated at about 100 000 tonnes. Cottco, which administers the Presidential Free Cotton Inputs Scheme, a state-assisted programme supporting nearly 300 000 rural households had stopped payments due to liquidity constraints, which resulted in banks failing to release the money. Zimbabwe‘s cotton season runs from September and includes a growing phase from around October to December, a harvesting and sales period from May to August. At peak, Zimbabwe produced 351 000 tonnes of cotton in the 2010/11 season and the Government has since set a target to raise production to 300 000 tonnes by 2025. Zimbabwe mainly uses openpollinated varieties, but indications are that production could go up to as much as 600 000 tonnes with the use of hybrid seeds. Experts are urging the Government to ramp up the use of hybrid seeds to boost productivity and cut the risk of crop failures as OPVs are getting more susceptible to diseases. Cash crops

8 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 LATE RAINS PUT PRESSURE ON TEA PRODUCTION In its first audited financials after the unbundling, bulk tea production took a 12% dip with dry weather attributed partially to the decline. ONE of the biggest and oldest producers and exporters in the country, Tanganda Tea Company reported in a statement, which accompanied its half-year financial results to March 31 2023, that the late onset of the rainy season exerted a downward pressure on tea production. Tanganda, which has operations in bulk tea, packed tea, coffee, avocadoes, and macadamia, has been trading for over a year now as a stand-alone company, after its unbundling from Meikles in February 2022. In its first audited financials after the unbundling, bulk tea production took a 12% dip with dry weather attributed partially to the decline. Despite coming from a low base, at 5 582 tonnes, another 6% drop in bulk tea production was recorded in the most recent reporting period, owing to the late onset of the rainy season. Bulk tea sales also trailed 9% below the comparable period. Another tea producer and listed entity is Ariston Holdings, which has yet to release its half-year results. In 2022, Zimbabwe exported tea worth over US$18 million, which is amongst the major agricultural exports. For the first five months to May 2023, Zimbabwe has exported tea worth US$8,6 million, representing a 5,5% drop in overall tea exports, which is comparable to the decrease in Tanganda‘s numbers. Tea prices on the international market marginally grew by 1% over the period under review to US$1,45 per kilogramme. Under the agriculture division, Tanganda has five plantation estates in Chipinge with tea, coffee, avocadoes, and macadamia nuts. However, during the reporting period, the company did not report any revenue under the avocadoes segment. Generally, tea and coffee can be processed and sold in their bulk form or blended and packed and sold under the beverages division. The agriculture division was more profitable and contributed over half of the company‘s top line. Despite efforts to diversify its operations, the company remains reliant on tea with both bulk and packed tea accounting for 90% of the recently reported inflation-adjusted revenue. Macadamia and avocado harvesting season only began at the end of the reporting season and their full contribution towards the group revenue can be realised in the yearend results. Nevertheless, macadamia contributed 6% whilst coffee and water‘s contributions were 2% and 3%, respectively. In the period under review, Tanganda reported a gross profit margin of 51%, representing a thirteen-percentage point increase from HY22‘s gross profit margin of 38%. HY23 gross profit was even higher than the HY21 margin of 44%. However, although the use of margins helps reduce the effect of monetary distortions, the effect of inflation adjusting should never be downplayed. On an operating profit margin basis, Tanganda‘s profitability dropped to 35% compared to 47% in the previous reporting period. The HY21 operating margin, albeit from unaudited numbers, was 54%. Selling and distribution expenses also soared and contributed to the depressed operating margin. The continuous decrease in operating margins may be a cause for concern and is reflective of the ballooning operating expenses in the period which more than doubled in inflationadjusted terms. In historical and unaudited numbers, Tanganda‘s earnings per share were reported at ZW$12,76 for the half year, giving a rolling 12 months trailing earnings per share of ZW$9,68. At current trading prices, the company will have a price-to-earnings ratio of 134X, which I opine is on the high end. Ariston, the company‘s peer using the same metric is selling a 190X, which suggests that the market may have completely disregarded the metric in valuing these agriculture exporters. Tanganda has done very well on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) so far in the year in terms of share price Cash crops

9 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 movement with a YTD movement of 1 354% and is amongst the bestperforming counters on the exchange using this metric. Fellow agriculture peers like Seed Co and Hippo are amongst the top risers so far, express the bullish sentiment towards the agriculture sector on the ZSE. Looking forward, the tea and coffee export market continues to look lucrative despite being affected significantly by weather patterns. Avocadoes and macadamia nuts have a growing market, especially in China and other eastern countries. However, I opine the market is currently overpaying for these expectations. • Hozheri is an investment analyst with an interest in sharing opinions on capital markets performance, the economy and international trade, among other areas. He holds a B. Com in Finance and is progressing well with the CFA programme. — 0784 707 653 and Rufaro Hozheri is his username for all social media platforms. MACADAMIA NUT FARMERS CRY FOUL THE Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) this week said government should review downwards the 25% retention on macadamia nut export receipts. Government retains 25% of macadamia farmers‘ foreign currency receipts which it reimburses in local currency. Farmers are, however, arguing that the percentage is too high and unsustainable. Zimbabwean farmers have been embracing macadamia nut production, taking advantage of the growing demand of the crop in major markets around the world and earning foreign currency for the country. Dubbed the green diamond, macadamia nuts are viewed as a lucrative cash crop due to their multiple uses, international market value and a decades-long harvesting lifespan. According to the AMA report, merchants are complaining over a high retention threshold, indicating that it is crippling the sector. "Merchants implored the government to review the retention level of 25% which they considered too high which they said was impeding business operations," the report said. AMA Agribusiness director Jonathan Mukuruba told NewsDay Farming that various efforts have been made to review the retention level through government engagement. "We met the macadamia nut stakeholders and they have expressed concern over the 25% retention level which they say is too high and affecting their businesses and various steps have been made which include engaging government through our parent ministry to review the level for the sector to grow," he said. However, merchants also indicated that prices were depressed by about 30% between March and June 2023, owing to oversupply in Europe and the United States. In 2024, the same trend is expected as well before an expected resurgence in 2025. The merchants‘ main markets are Hong Kong and South Africa where they fetch prices of about US$2 per kg and US$7-12 per kg for the dry nut in shell and kernel, respectively. Macadamia farmers noted that currently there is no funding facility for the macadamia nut trees. Producers relied on some contractors for inputs such as chemicals, fertiliser and working capital. But farmers want long-term capital for their operations as one has to wait for up to seven years to break even. Production costs are also too high. Macadamia nuts can be processed into oil, butter, chocolates and biscuits, among other products. Research has shown that the nuts have unique nutritional benefits. They protect the brain and lower the risk of heart diseases, among other benefits. Cash crops Get Involved: Help us to make Zimbabwe Greener Farmers Voices is a registered trust that provides credible information entirely for free. To subscribe, advertise, support or partner us, WhatsApp ―Farmers Voices‖ to +263773376128.

10 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 HDC SEEKS 4 000HA FOR BLUEBERRY PRODUCTION THE Horticultural Development Council (HDC) has submitted a proposal to the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency (Zida) seeking an additional 4 000 hectares (ha) for blueberry production. As the name says, blueberry is a small dark blue berry indigenous to North America, but now spread as a cultivated crop around the world. It is a perennial plant related to the cranberry and the huckleberry. World production is over 850 000 tonnes a year. In its first quarter report, Zida said the proposed 4 000ha for blueberry production was estimated to cost US$140 million. ―The HDC is advancing the production of blueberries, citrus, coffee and flowers. To this end HDC submitted its plans to Zida, which gave details on the proposal to secure an additional 4 000 hectares for blueberry production estimated to cost US$140 million to develop,‖ the report read in part. ―For coffee production, HDC plans to establish and manage 1 000ha of coffee in the Eastern Highlands (Manicaland) and support 1 300 small- and medium-scale coffee producers to produce 2 220 tonnes per year with a gross value of over US$11 million annually and creating more than 2 000 jobs. ―Rose production is expected to increase with a further 800ha driven by increased demand from South African, Russia and the Far East markets estimated to be worth around US$277 million in export proceeds.‖ According to the report, Zida is providing facilitation and assistance with land identification and acquisition, creation of special export horticulture economic zones, creation of specialised export horticultural parks for value addition and beneficiation so that the council is able to achieve its set target of a US$1 billion horticulture industry by 2030. High-quality fresh vegetables and fruit often need to be airlifted to get to markets while still fresh, and so need to be of high-value to justify the costs. When Zimbabwe's horticulture exports were much higher and included a lot of products that lose freshness in a couple of days, there were both special chartered flights and cargo space on scheduled air services, which were typically available as more other goods were flown into Zimbabwe than out. Last year, HDC revealed that it was working on the China Protocol for Citrus with the aim to follow closely for blueberries and avocados as well as other products. ―Market diversification will be key in order to maintain competitiveness in the sector,‖ HDC said. According to HDC, the country‘s horticultural exports increased from US$6 million in 1988 to US$103 million in 1997. It says exports grew by an average rate of 25% from 1998 to 2004, before peaking above US$250 million. The sector, which employs 18 700 people and has potential to double the jobs in the next four years to 2025, is projected — under the horticulture recovery and growth plan — to contribute export earnings of US$300 million per year by 2030. HDC is a non-profit, membershipdriven organisation in the export horticultural industry. Cash crops

11 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 IDCZ TO VENTURE INTO SUGARCANE PROCESSING THE Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe (IDCZ) has revealed plans to venture into sugarcane processing targeting the export market saying local producers have been concentrating on the local market while the export market quotas remain unfulfilled. It also seeks to tap into ethanol production and other value added products. The project will be developed in partnership with other players on the farm production, IDCZ said. ―The demand for sugar in Zimbabwe and abroad continues to grow. Zimbabwean producers have been concentrating on the local market while the export market quotas remain unfulfilled thus presenting an opportunity for additional players on the market. ―The project will be developed in partnership with other players on the farm production while IDCZ‘s interest will be on the processing side,‖ it said in a statement. IDCZ noted that physical and climatic conditions in the lowveld favour the production of sugarcane saying the land is generally flat, characteristic of the lowveld and this allows for the efficient use of equipment.\ ―The soils are characteristically deep, well drained, relatively unleached and of high base saturation. The warm to hot temperatures in summer and relatively warm frost-free winters favour the sugarcane plant as it converts the sun‘s energy through photosynthesis more efficiently in the abundant sun of the lowveld.‖ On the planned ethanol project, IDCZ said it is scouting for potential partners to co-develop the project. ―Local producers cannot meet the ethanol blending requirement for the country while the export market for ethanol is also very lucrative. A detailed feasibility study will have to be conducted to confirm viability and other parameters. IDCZ is seeking potential partners to co-develop the project.‖ The country has an estimated sugar consumption of around 350 000 tonnes per annum and produces 500 000 tonnes. The country has the capacity to increase sugar output by another 190 000 tonnes without additional investment in milling assets. Zimbabwe is also one of the few countries which have embraced the blending of ethanol with petrol to cut the cost of importing fuel. Green Fuels and Triangle Limited run ethanol plants which produce fuel grade ethanol. As part of the diversification and sustainability drive, both Hippo Valley Estates and Triangle mills have incorporated co-generation of electricity into their operations. Added to that, the country is one of the significant sugar producers in the Sadc region and has been a surplus producer of sugar for many years, with capacity to produce sufficient sugar in various forms and quality grades to meet domestic and export demand. Cash crops

12 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 COMMERCIALISING HORTICULTURE IN ZIMBABWE: SOME CASE STUDIES This column focuses on a number of case studies of producers distinguishing the more commercial growers from those who are developing a business by specialising in particular products, those who are operating as contract farmers and those who are aspiring producers, not yet able to invest in expanding to a more commercial operation. The cases are accompanied by a series of photographs taken over the past weeks, highlighting the diversity of operations. As noted last week, horticulture is an important dimension of diversification of farming across our sites, facilitated by growing demand and the investment in small-scale irrigation. These producers are supported by local labour, both permanent and temporary, transporters who ferry produce to markets and various forms of financing, including investment from off-farm jobs, diaspora linked contracts for purchasing vegetables and contract growing of particular crops. The commercial growers There are an increasing number of commercial growers of vegetables across our sites. These are mostly men who have reduced their focus on dryland maize production and have invested in horticulture. Most have a pump based irrigation system (increasingly relying on a solar pump) and many have their own transport. They have developed good relationships with particular markets, including supermarkets and in one case diaspora buyers linked by mobile money transfers. While they concentrate on the dominant horticultural crops – notably tomatoes, cabbages and green leaf vegetables – they produce at scale and can guarantee sales through good market networks. All employ labour and generate a significant profit, certainly compared to relying on dryland cropping, although market constraints due to lockdowns during the pandemic presented problems for them all. I am GD from Matobo district. The place lies 74 km from Bulawayo along Kezi Maphisa road. I am a father of two, and I was formerly employed as bank-teller, but now am a vegetable grower. I have ventured into cabbage and tomato production on the back of my successful broiler business. I am assisted by my family and two casual workers. I got a bank loan and bought a solar powered sand abstraction pump. I have a 0.5 hectare plot. I have a good relationship with Savemore supermarket in Maphisa. I make batch sales of cabbages with weekly deliveries using my own truck. For tomatoes, I sell in Bulawayo every Monday morning, delivering 20 crates, with each going for US$10. My major challenge has been labour. Young men want a fast dollar and they will always flee my farm when the produce needed more attention. I thought of an idea to give them a stable salary when producing, and then pay them on commission when the produce is reaching the market. This worked wonders and l am able to anticipate good profits. Across the year l have three tomatoes plots staggered to avail the produce all year round. After the US $400 production costs, I get $2000 profits per annum. I am BK from near Mvurwi. I produce tomatoes all year round. I buy inputs from Agricura, Windmill and Farm and City in Mvurwi town. I make use of a free flow irrigation system, which works throughout the year. I hire tillage and also labour for weeding, trellising, spraying and so on. It’s a labour-intensive activity. I manage to get some pesticide and fungicides from tobacco farmers who get it on contract. I sell my output in Mvurwi and Guruve to local vendors depending on demand. I own a pickup truck, which I use for delivering tomatoes to the market centres. I have a perennial garden and grow a whole variety of vegetables, plus also sugar cane. I have a reliable well now with a solar pump system. Vendors come from all over to buy from my garden. They all make a good living from selling my vegetables – mostly tomatoes and cabbages. During COVID we suffered a big problem as the police would stop people moving. They would demand permits, vaccination certificates and so on. It was a real problem for my business. Now it is OK again, but I have also diversified and grow sugar cane too, which is not perishable so can be stored. No one grows it nearby and I can get a good price, as it’s sold in the township and at the bus stop. My garden produce is very popular with diaspora people whose families live here. They transfer money electronically and it’s a good deal as it’s quick and efficient and in US dollars. A big problem is elephant damage, but we now have a project to produce chili cakes, which we burn at night. The Gonarezhou park people help us to do this, giving training to farmers. If we don’t elephants can destroy the garden in one night. The specialists The case studies of specialist growers include those focusing on butternut, kale, oranges/grafted trees and water melons. In each case, a particular market has been sought out and the

13 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 producers gear production towards the market, linking to it via mobile vendors or particular relationships with sellers, including supermarkets. These producers are commercialized, but on a slightly smaller scale. Without significant capitalization they have specialized and know their crop and its market well. All employ labourers and they all are investing in irrigated production. Technical knowledge is gained from a variety of sources, including training courses and support from agricultural extension workers. I am a young man in a newly resettled farm in Clare in Gutu. I started my project of butternut production in 2020 after a long time of tomato production. I lost my tomatoes to disease, and going to market was a big challenge too, as my tomatoes rotted. This challenge made me switch into butternut production. I have 0.2ha of butternut ready for marketing right now. I am looking to sell them in Masvingo and Gutu. I am also happy if I sell locally to neighbours and in Chatsworth township. I am expecting a big profit of about US$250-$300 this season. The major constraint is transport to market and the high cost of diesel for my engine pump. I am looking forward to install solar powered system if my produce fetches good prices at the market. Butternut has got more advantages compared to tomatoes. Shelf life; easy to transport to market; less diseases attack hence cost of inputs is minimised especially on chemicals. Also, butternut production has no stiff competition in the market. Last year I experienced cracks on my butternuts caused by cold and also powdery mildew on leaves. But through the help from Agritex staff I managed to overcome the problem. I have one permanent worker but at peak periods I employ more casual workers. If you want an easy life in newly resettled area the only possible solution is to venture into horticulture production each and every day you get at least US$5-$10 in your pocket. I am a newly resettled farmer allocated in Hillsbrough farm in Chatsworth area, Gutu. I have a small vegetable garden of about 0.8 ha. My main crop is Covo (Kale). 2021 is the year I started vegetable production project after comparing maize budget and horticulture production budgets with the help of my agricultural extension officer. With the little I get from maize production I managed to buy a 5000 litre tank with a small solar panel to pump water to my reservoir. This was done through the help of my family members and also with support from my councillor. I have about 0.2 ha of Covo, tomatoes, rape and watermelons. To me the market is not a major problem as I am close to the HarareMasvingo highway. The local leadership helped me to source a market at Rufaro high school. Sometimes I supply Rufaro high with about 500-600kgs of Covo per month but competition there is very stiff. Sometimes the market supply gets flooded, which makes me dry my vegetables and sell them as mufushwa. Furthermore, I also travel as far as Zoma where I sell my produce to gold panners (makorokoza) at a price of US$1 per mug cup. I also sell my vegetables at Mwazha church conference at Chaka. It is about 2.5 kilometres from my garden to their meeting place. They gather there at least three times a year so I make sure I have something on those days. In terms of problems, I have a problem of pests, such as aphids and flies, and the cost of fertilizer is too high. For example, I bought 50 kgs of ammonium nitrate at US$46! I mixed it with compost and animal manure in order to save on cost. I am planning to drill a borehole if things go well next year. I have two workers during the peak period and I hire 2-3 casual workers to help me with harvesting. I am looking forward to expand my garden in the near future. For some time, I worked in South Africa doing a variety of jobs. I ended up working in a citrus plantation. It was like slave labour. I worked hard and earned little, but I did learn how to cultivate oranges and graft trees. I decided to return home and started my own orchard with oranges, lemons, guavas. I sell these at the small-scale farms, to the Zimbabwe Republic Police station, to the workers at the hospital, to rangers at Gonarezhou, at circumcision parties and to local vendors in Chikombedzi township. I also now sell grafted trees and sold 300 this year. I get inputs from cross-border traders who come from South Africa as the price is cheap. It’s good business and now my life is definitely better. My father worked at Hippo Valley and one time there was a free course on horticulture. I attended and learnt a lot. That is where my passion started. It then increased when I worked in South Africa. First as a haulage driver and then later with an agricultural inputs company. I learned about farming, including irrigation there. I decided to return home and set up my project. I bought a 5 HP engine for pumping and started with green maize growing for selling in Chikombedzi township. It was good money, but I decided to switch when I saw the demand for melons. This is my main focus these days. I make a good profit, even in times when rainfall is low. I sell to vendors who come from afar,

14 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 as well as to government offices and workers in Chikombedzi. I am the biggest supplier in the area and my melons are sold in Chiredzi and as far as Masvingo. Problems include getting fuel for the pump, as we don’t have service stations nearby. The biggest problem is elephants though, so we have to protect our gardens, even at night. I employ labour for weeding and hire tractors for ploughing and opening up irrigation furrows. I pay for all this from my garden’s profit, but also from building projects that I do in the area. The contract farmer Contract arrangements are springing up for a variety of horticultural crops with particular markets. In this case, the focus is on chili production, supported by the national park trust, which has linked to a company so that chilies can be made available for making cakes for burning and deterring elephants. I belong to the Kacholo chili project, which was set up by Gonarezhou National Park. Chillis are used for scaring elephants. We burn them around our farms, and it helps scare the elephants that come from the park. I am contracted to grow 3,000 plants this year. We get USD 1.75 per kilogramme. It’s not bad money, but the company gets lots of money as the chillis are valued all over the world, and there are lots of export markets, as well as the local use for scaring elephants. The aspiring gardener There are many aspiring gardeners who are upgrading a ‗backyard‘ type operation. The key to scaling up production is the opportunity to irrigate and to secure labour. I have a garden that I established with the help of my husband. Sadly, he passed away and I was left alone. I only have a brushwood fence and animals can get into the place. I am also no longer young and work is hard. However I do my best and vendors come and buy vegetables from my garden. They come with donkey carts, cars and so on. I sell to those who cook at the big open-air markets in the area (bacosi). They want vegetables for relish particular for the month-end markets. It’s a good business. I am hoping to raise enough money to buy a pump, but for now I am watering by bucket from the well that was built from money that my late husband had from his temporary teacher job. This is the last of eight ‗hidden middle‘ blogs focusing on maize, poultry and horticulture. We are now working on two more blog series, one on ‗technology‘, the other on ‗finance‘, again highlighting how innovation is occurring across farming areas, with pathways to agricultural development in Zimbabwe emerging that are not of the ‗textbook‘ sort. The blog will be taking a break for a few weeks while this work is completed. As in previous elections (see here for 2018 and for 2013 – also here), I was planning a blog on election manifestos and their positions on agriculture, land and rural development, but a month out from the 2023 election there are it seems still no manifestos out., but watch out for a quick reflection blog if they appear. Thanks are due to the team in Chikombedzi, Triangle, Masvingo, Gutu, Mvurwi and Matobo and to Felix Murimbarimba for coordinating the work and compiling the huge amount of information and many photos taken by the team, a few of which are included here. SyndiGate Media Inc

15 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 ANIMAL DISEASES SURVEILLANCE POLICY ADOPTED DIFFERENT stakeholders converged last week to endorse the recently drafted national animal disease surveillance plan. The animal disease surveillance plan was being facilitated by the veterinary services and supported by SAFE (Transforming Zimbabwe‘s Animal Health and Food safety systems for the future) which is funded by the European Union and was implemented by Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Department of Veterinary services in the ministry of lands, agriculture, fisheries, water, climate and rural development and the department of environmental health under the ministry of health and child care. The surveillance plan seeks to help monitor animal diseases and ensure that they are controlled before a large number of animals are affected. Among the stakeholders were farmers, Agritex officers, veterinary doctors, the police, city council representatives from different areas, the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara), and ministry officials. The chief director of the Veterinary Services Dr Josphat Nyika said their plan is to avoid entry of animal diseases in the country, and their spread, and come up with ways to control them should it happen that they have entered. He said the meeting was meant for the stakeholders to validate the plan which had been drafted and funded by the European Union and FAO so that stakeholders can know different policies that are in place to ensure that animals are prevented and controlled. Dr Nyika said this will in place increase the profits of having a herd as having a healthy herd of animals is profitable and ensures that no one gets losses. ―This surveillance plan will ensure that the livestock industry is built to more than US$ 2 billion by the year 2030 because of how safe the animals will be. The purpose of this surveillance plan is also important because it also has a number of new features that will see farmers getting new partnerships for growth,‖ he said. He said it will also help in moving forward with disease control like January disease and monitoring where it is coming from and how best it can be fully eliminated. A prominent farmer who had also attended, Mr Obert Chinhamo, said things were made easy by inviting different stakeholders because it meant they were able to share all the grievances they each have and ways of eliminating them as they are the cause for the spread of a lot of diseases. He said it is very important for farmers in general to take part in such policymaking decisions because they are the most affected people and if they do not know the basic things that are needed to control animal disease it will never be eliminated. ―If we look closely at how we now have January disease in our region, something that has never been there, it is important for farmers to understand about these diseases and how to make reports and ensure that they do not move such animals around. So, we are really happy we have been included in such things by the veterinary services,‖ said Mr Chinhamo. Another farmer Ms Zanele Mpofu said she is happy about being involved in such initiatives because as farmers they are the most affected people and if they are not involved having such a surveillance plan becomes pointless. She said animal diseases can move very fast if they are not monitored and that is one problem that they all face. ―I am happy there are a lot of stakeholders that were involved here like Zinara because these are the most important people in ensuring that animal diseases are not spread as they are the ones responsible for ensuring that the proper procedures are followed before animals are moved,‖ said Ms Mpofu. Advertise here or Sponsor Us! Contact +263773376128 Livestock Mark

16 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 JANUARY DISEASE DESTROYED CATTLE HERDS, WITH GRAVE CONSEQUENCES This year, the January disease has been more devastating than ever in most communal areas, leaving many villagers without cattle. In areas like Christon Bank, communal farmers have now resorted to horticulture because they have no option. Samson Chanetsa, a farmer in the area says that he was now free to pursue horticulture because there is no threat of cattle as they have all died. "This year we are not worried much about fencing because there are no cattle at all. They all died because of January Disease." The same situation is prevailing in the Masvingo area of Chatikobo where thousands of cattle have died. The situation is worse in Matabeleland. What is worrying however is that despite announcing a ‗war on January disease‘ for 2023, the government has chosen to mum over the issue. It could be because it is an election year and those in authority do not want to be seen as if they are inefficient. Or maybe it's because since the minister of agriculture was named the best minister in cabinet, talking about January Disease would be a spoiler for the momentum. There is no update, or even a high alert of the matter which has eliminated half a million cattle in the last three years. The disease is caused by ticks, also known as theileriosis. It is spread by the brown tick (Rhipicephalus appendiculas) and results in a swelling of the lymph nodes, running eyes, rough skin and loss of appetite and later almost certain death, especially with older, weaker animals. In periods of relatively good rainfall, as has been experienced certainly in parts of the country, tick populations explode and if they are not controlled through dipping, then the disease spreads. A new distribution of tick populations and associated population dynamics – both over time and space — is being seen leading some to speculate that there may be new tick species carrying the disease. New selection pressures also change the vector and in turn the disease, making theileriosis today very different to before. The permanent secretary in the ministry of Agriculture regularly advised farmers to dip their cattle but unfortunately many areas have no dip tanks. In fact many do not have the water to dip their cattle. As the officials point out it‘s important to have the right chemicals, to ensure that animals are properly soaked, to add tick grease to parts of the body where ticks attack that are not usually dipped (such as ears) and to increase dipping frequency if the disease emerges. The 5-5-4 dipping regime is usually recommended, with dips spaced five, then four days apart. This to many is very expensive, unless the government is to provide the chemicals. However even if the government provides chemicals, officials are tempted to sell them on the black market and make quick money meaning that the disease is here to stay. To make matters worse, the new configuration of land use following land reform, more animals are spread across the country, but few dips especially in the resettlement areas. Along with the relaxation (or actually lack of implementation) of dipping regulations, animals are dipped infrequently and often not thoroughly. There is also an influx of ‗fake‘ chemicals in private veterinary distributors and many being adulterated, although importers and manufacturers and Vet officials deny this. Infrequent dipping and misapplication of dips may have resulted in resistance to dip chemicals (acaricides) by the ticks. Compared to the heavily grazed communal areas, ticks survive better in the new resettlements. Others argue that there are new vectors among the wider array of ticks found in these grazing environments, extending the range of tick vectors. The mixing of breeds in both the communal and resettlement areas that resulted from the dispersal of commercial breeds across the country following land reform has probably meant less overall resistance to ticks and tick-borne disease. Hardy, small Mashona cattle could survive nearly anything, but this is less the case with exotic crosses, resulting in declining resistance in the population. With some investing in pure breeds as they stock their A2 farms. There is a need for a concerted effort to fight theileriosis otherwise the national herd will be downsized in the coming years. • Gwabanayi is a practising journalist and a farmer in his own right. — 0772 865 703 or [email protected] Livestock Mark

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18 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 BOTSWANA MINISTER MOLAO SPELLS OUT LIVESTOCK PROTOCOLS Non-susceptible Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) species originating from Botswana such as donkeys and horses that cross into Zimbabwe may be returned subject to import conditions prescribed by the director of Veterinary Services as informed by the prevailing disease situation in Zimbabwe, says Minister of Agriculture, Mr Fidelis Molao. Answering a parliamentary question this week, Mr Molao said the current protocol for livestock that crossed into Zimbabwe from Botswana and viceversa was that FMD susceptible species from Botswana such as cattle, sheep, and goats that crossed into Zimbabwe could not be brought back. Further, he said FMD susceptible animals that crossed into countries that were not free from the disease were considered high risk for transmission of the disease. He also said returning animals that had been to such countries would be in contravention of the World Organisation for Animal Health standard on FMD, and consequently jeopardise the official free status of the country. He said there were also risks of introduction of new strains of viruses that would bring complexities and extra costs to control the disease. He said the ministry preferred to return livestock that strayed into Botswana from Zimbabwe as killing such animals would not be in the interest of the country's current disease control strategy. MUTORASHANGA PROJECT TO IMPROVE MILK SUPPLY Dairy farmers have welcomed the commissioning of Doonside milk collection centre in Mutorashanga which is set to help overcome milk handling challenges and boost the country‘s milk production in line with the Vision 2030 and National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) goals. Poor milk handling facilities have for years negatively affected milk production and led to huge losses both in terms of productivity, lost farmer earnings and the rise in the import cost of milk to fill the local demand gap. The commissioning of the milk centre, which has better technology for storage, will help farmers to overcome different value chain challenges and increase their milk production. The project seeks to increase the capacity of smallholder farmers through increasing their production, and linking them to the markets. The farmers hope that with increased production through more of their members acquiring dairy cows, the milk delivered at the centre could be sold to markets in the urban areas once local demand had been met. Mrs Silvia Mahala of Ward 25 in Nyabira said the initiative was a welcome development since farmers are guaranteed of a good market adding that the initiative is going to empower the majority of farmers financially. ―This is a positive step in the rural area, some of our children will be employed at the centre. ―Moreover, some of us are going to learn how to produce different milk products at the centre. This is a huge achievement in rural areas. We appreciate such efforts. We hope this to be implemented in most parts of rural areas. A farmer Claudious Burira of Chitomborwizi said dairy is an interesting programme adding that farmers should devise their own feed to make it cheaper. ―We are grateful for our President. We were assisted by Government with maize, seed , fertilisers to all farmers who are in dairy farming to do silage.We are also going to be given all these very soon,‘‘ he said. Mr Michael Kavhaire, an aspiring dairy farmer said they look forward to indulging in successful programme so as to uplift the community and upgrade the industry. ―We were told to start the programme using our hard Mashona type. We look forward to upscaling our dairy projects. There are lots of products that are produced from milk. We hope to manufacture all these products,‘‘ he said. Livestock Mark Livestock Mark

19 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 Development of the dairy sector is an efficient tool as it generates a continuous flow of income, diversifies risk, improves utilisation of resources, and generates employment. For potential milk yields to be realised, all production constraints and their individual effects on milk production must be identified Speaking on behalf of the permanent secretary of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary Dr John Basera while commissioning Doonside milk collection centre in Mutorashanga , Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) chief director Professor Obert Jiri challenged dairy farmers to engage in value addition drive so as to empower those who are unemployed and to improve the dairy industry ‗‘We are anticipating that this year we will produce 105 litres of milk, we need 150 million litres. ―We want farmers to grow their own pastures so that it becomes cheap and enables them to produce more quality milk. Lets make sure that our cattle are fed and we need to control diseases. We will be moving around the country to establish centres like these. ―What is needed is to make sure that the cattle should suit the environment. I want to urge farmers to grow their own feed,‘‘ he said. Recently Zimbabwe Farmers‘ Union economist Ms Nyasha Taderera said the improvement made so far in the dairy sector is a positive step towards the growth of the dairy industry. ―There is a positive step towards improvement of the dairy sector. There will be a reduction of import of milk powders from South Africa. ―This also shows that milk consumption in the country will increase and there will be more investors in the dairy industry,‖ she said. The Government, working in conjunction with development partners, has embarked on a massive US$4 million project aimed at increasing the country‘s dairy herd including boosting the horticulture value chains in 13 districts. The project, which is known as Inclusive Market Oriented Value Chains for Economic Development (Imoved) is a four-year programme being funded by We Effect, a Swedish entity. It is being implemented in 13 districts of the country by three local partners comprising Women and Land in Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers and Zimbabwe Dairy Industry Trust. The programme will run until November 2026. WHY SOME COWS KEEP ROLLING THEIR TONGUES A dairy cow sticks out its tongue in a cowshed. Low body score attributed to cows spending a lot of time rolling tongue instead of feeding. The farmer called saying she feared one cows could be having rabies. She was in panic, lamenting that she knew rabies is not curable. I appealed to the caller to calm down and give an account of what she had observed, when it had started and whether there had been any events on the farm that could have predisposed her cattle to rabies. Situations that could expose cattle to the illness include the sighting of a rabid or peculiarly-behaving dog or animal of the cat or dog family, previous diagnosis of rabies on the farm in livestock, wandering of the cattle into unknown areas or an outbreak in the area. Cessy, the caller, responded negatively to the circumstances that could infect her cattle with rabies. She said the cow had been developing the peculiar behaviour over one week. It started by extruding the tongue and then folding it backwards and inserting it into the nostrils. I made note that the action was normal unless done frequently. The cow was a three-year-old Jersey that had calved down twice. It rolled the tongue out of the mouth, appeared to swallow it before throwing it out again. Initially, it would take the actions slowly but the speed increased with time. The cow would move the tongue fast and discharge a lot of saliva at times. Cessy said the salivation was one of the reasons she thought the cow had rabies. I asked if the animal was eating and drinking water. When she responded in the affirmative, I said it could not be rabies. Rabid animals get paralysis of the swallowing muscles. Livestock Mark

20 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 Further, the cow had had the condition for two weeks without any deterioration of its calm and friendly behaviour. Rabies cases get aggressive or quiet, become weak, lose their voice and finally cannot walk. They die within 10 days from the onset of the signs. Cessy‘s zero-grazing cows were given chopped feed. I asked her to send me a video of the cow ―exercising‖ its tongue. The clip clearly showed what she had described. The animal had bovine rolling tongue orosthenic syndrome (BRTOS). She said doctors have the habit of coining long complicated terms to scare patients. Most medical terms sound complicated because they were derived from Latin and Greek and names of people who described organs, diseases and diseasecausing micro-organisms. Borborygmus, for example, is the sound of the stomach growling due to movement of gas. It is from the Greek word borboryzein, which means rumbling. I explained BRTOS to Cessy and how she would manage it. It is not a disease. Cattle with the problem have been found to have normal body health indicators except those related with reduced feeding time. Two studies in 2022 showed that cows with BRTOS had poorer body condition than those with normal behaviour. The low body score was due to the cows spending a lot of time rolling the tongue instead of feeding. Cows with BRTOS tend to drink more water than the rest due to dehydration caused by saliva loss. The cow drools due to the rapid tongue movements and evaporation from the tongue surface. Because of the high intake of water, BRTOS cattle were found to yield more milk than those without the condition. The studies further showed the behaviour was common in cattle that had little space to walk about and were fed on finely chopped fodder or with very low fibre content. The animals were thought to have been making motions similar to apprehending plant material. It has also been found that Jersey cows and Jersey crosses have a higher tendency to develop BRTOS than other breeds. The condition can therefore be genetic. It is advisable not to breed the offspring of cattle with BRTOS. The behaviour has been attributed to boredom when cattle are confined, consumption of a low fibre and genetics. Affected cows can be discouraged to stop the behaviour if they are provided with sufficient walking space, high fibre diet or less chopped fodder. Salt lick blocks can also distract the animals. In my long practice of veterinary medicine, this was my fifth case of BRTOS. The cases involved Jerseys or their mixes. If you have encountered BRTOS, please let me know how many cases you have seen, in which breeds and how they were resolved. ROLE OF LEGUMES IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE LEGUMES are popular for what they do with nitrogen gas. Nitrogen is essential for all living organisms, as it is a key component of amino acids, proteins and DNA. However, the availability of nitrogen in the environment is often limited. This is where legumes come into play. Leguminous plants form symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, allowing them to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form other plants and organisms use. Understanding nitrogen fixation Nitrogen gas is abundantly present in the air, unfortunately, most plants cannot use this form of nitrogen directly. Legumes, however, establish a mutualistic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria known as rhizobia. These bacteria reside in the root nodules of leguminous plants and convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia through nitrogen fixation. The ammonia is then transformed to nitrate, a more readily available form of nitrogen, which the legume and neighbouring plants can utilise. Nitrogen-fixing benefits Increased soil fertility Legumes, such as beans, cowpeas and groundnuts, are special plants that improve soil fertility. For instance, if a farmer wants to grow maize, the soil in the farmer's field may not have enough nutrients to support a healthy maize crop. But something amazing happens if the farmer plants legumes like cowpeas before or alongside the Advice

21 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 maize. These legumes work closely with bacteria in their roots, turning nitrogen gas from the air into natural fertiliser. As the legumes grow, they release extra nitrogen into the soil. This extra nitrogen enriches the soil, making it healthier and more nutritious for crops like maize. So, when the farmer plants the maize after the legumes, it will have access to this rich nutritious soil, which helps to produce better yields. This increased soil fertility from legumes also benefits crops like vegetables, sorghum and millet. It helps to create a healthier and more productive farming system, reducing the need for expensive and environmentally harmful chemical fertilisers. Cover crops Legumes, such as pigeon peas and lablab beans, can be grown as cover crops between main cash crops or during fallow periods. These cover crops help to protect and improve the soil. For instance, pigeon peas have deep-rooted systems that break up compacted soil, improve water infiltration and reduce erosion. Also, lablab beans, with their fast growth and dense foliage, contribute to weed suppression, reducing the need for herbicides. Furthermore, the root systems of legumes aid in soil stabilisation by preventing erosion. Their deep and extensive root structures bind the soil particles and reduce the risk of soil loss during heavy rainfall or strong winds. This helps to maintain the integrity and quality of the soil, preventing nutrient runoff and reducing the siltation of nearby waterways. Crop rotation and nutrient cycling Subsistence farmers in Zimbabwe use legumes like groundnuts, cowpeas, and soybeans in crop rotation systems. For instance, a farmer may alternate between growing maize and cowpeas. The legume crop benefits the soil by fixing nitrogen, which enriches the soil with essential nutrients. When maize is planted after the cowpeas, it utilises these nutrients, resulting in better yields without relying heavily on synthetic fertilisers. The legume's deep taproots also help loosen compacted soil, enhancing its overall health. Legumes contribute to nutrient cycling in agroecosystems. For example, when groundnuts are harvested, the plant residues can be incorporated back into the soil. These residues decompose, releasing nutrients that subsequent crops, such as maize or sorghum, can utilise. This reduces the need for external inputs and promotes a more sustainable farming system. Livestock feed Leguminous fodder crops like cowpeas, lablabs and velvet beans are commonly grown in Zimbabwe to provide nutritious feed for livestock. These legumes are also beneficial for improving soil fertility, but their high protein content makes them an excellent source of animal feed. By reducing the need for expensive protein supplements or imported feed, farmers can reduce costs and improve the sustainability of livestock production. Enhanced biodiversity and ecosystem stability Leguminous plants, such as velvet beans, lablab beans and groundnuts, are vital elements in local ecosystems by providing habitat and food sources for various organisms. The flowers of legumes attract pollinators like bees, butterflies and other insects, promoting the pollination of nearby plants. This contributes to the area‘s overall diversity and abundance of plant species. Moreover, legumes also nourish many species of animals, including birds, rodents and other small mammals. These creatures consume the seeds and foliage of leguminous plants, relying on them as a critical food source in their diet. Legumes in the ecosystem support a healthy food web, ensuring various organisms have access to sufficient nutrition for their survival and reproduction. Legumes‘ ability to fix nitrogen has a cascading effect on other plants in the ecosystem. As legumes release excess nitrogen into the soil, neighbouring plants can access and utilise these additional nutrients. This nutrient availability enhances the growth and vigour of non-leguminous plants, contributing to a diverse and robust plant community. This, in turn, attracts a wider range of herbivores and other organisms that depend on these plants for sustenance. The increased biodiversity resulting from the presence of legumes helps to stabilise ecosystems. It balances predator and prey populations and supports the intricate interactions between plants, animals and microorganisms. By promoting ecosystem stability, legumes play a vital role in maintaining the health and resilience of the natural environment. Carbon sequestration

22 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 Soybeans, cowpeas and groundnuts contribute to carbon sequestration, which refers to the capture and longterm storage of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and helps to mitigate climate change. During photosynthesis, legumes convert carbon dioxide from the air into organic matter. This organic matter, produced through photosynthesis, contains carbon stored in the plant‘s tissues, including roots, stems, leaves and seeds. Leguminous plants have high biomass production, so they are effective at immobilising and holding carbon within their structures. The nitrogen fixation process by legumes is energy-intensive and requires significant amounts of carbon. As legumes allocate a portion of the fixed carbon to the symbiotic bacteria in their root nodules for nitrogen fixation, this carbon becomes effectively sequestered in the soil as organic matter. When the plant residues of legumes, such as leaves, stems and roots, decompose, carbon is gradually released into the soil ecosystem. Due to the high nitrogen content of leguminous plant residues, the decomposition process can be slower, resulting in prolonged carbon retention within the soil. The combination of leguminous plants contributing to above-ground carbon storage and enhanced carbon preservation within the soil makes them valuable in mitigating climate change. By sequestering carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in their biomass and the soil, legumes reduce the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, thus helping to decrease the greenhouse effect and limit global warming. Conclusively, the practice of integrating legumes into agricultural systems enhances carbon sequestration. By incorporating legumes in crop rotations or intercropping systems, farmers can increase the overall carbon stock within the system and reduce the net release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This contributes to sustainable agriculture and the efforts to mitigate climate change. Takudzwanashe Mundenga is a journalist, NSERC-CREATE Climate Smart Soils fellow, and MSc candidate in capacity development and extension at the University of Guelph, Canada. His expertise lies in climate change and soil science communications. LAND COMPENSATION DEAL: EX-FARMERS TURN TO AFDB White former commercial farmers have turned to the African Development Bank (AfDB) to facilitate further negotiations to hummer a sustainable solution on the US$3,5 billion deal they signed with the Zimbabwean Government three years ago after members rejected new proposed payment terms, Business Weekly can reveal. Zimbabwe came up with a revised plan last year after twice missing the agreed terms under the pact known as the Global Compensation Deed, but the farmers, whose farms were acquired during the Land Reform Programme, which started at the turn of the millennium, turned down the new payment terms through a recent referendum. The implementation of the deal is one of the major conditions set by the country‘s foreign creditors before they accept its proposed arrears clearance and debt resolution strategy. AfDB president, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, whom President Mnangagwa appointed champion to the country‘s arrears clearances and debt restructuring, leads the financial institution that is also owed in excess of US$600 million. Dr Adesina is working with former Republic of Mozambique‘s President Joaquim Chissano, who is facilitator to the dialogue. Under the original agreement, farmers were supposed to receive half the money within the first year of signing the deal, followed by four US$437,5 million annual instalments. However, under the new deal, Zimbabwe proposed to pay an interim cash payment of US$35 million per year for three years from 2023 to 2025, with the balance of US$295 million being liquidated in 2026 from the sale proceeds of the (funds from operations) 12,5 percent Kuvimba shareholding sale or any other Government asset. Government owns 65 percent stake in Kuvimba, a diversified mining company with rich gold, platinum and chrome assets. ―When we did the survey, we found out farmers are not happy with the new terms, so we have engaged the African Development Bank to facilitate further negotiations,‖ Commercial Policy

23 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 Farmers Union (CFU) president Andrew Pascole told Business Weekly. ―In fact, farmers who responded to the survey rejected the new offer.‖ This week people familiar with the deal, said the farmers are ―skeptical‖ about the payment period. ―They are skeptical about the proposed sources of funding, the Government‘s ability to mobilise domestic resources, and also the ability to meet the deadlines,‖ said one person who declined to be identified citing protocol issues. Calls seeking comment from Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, were not answered. However, his deputy Clemence Chiduwa said he was unaware if the farmers had officially communicated their position to the Government. ―I know they (the farmers) have been engaging, but I am not sure of their latest position because I have not been in office. I have to check if their position has been formally communicated to the Government,‖ said Chiduwa. The stalemate, analysts fear, could derail the arrears clearance and debt restructuring dialogue as this was set as one of the major conditions the creditors would consider the country‘s plan to repay. Zimbabwe has been unable to mobilise funding from the multi-lateral financial organisation because of huge foreign liabilities, constituted by debt and arrears amounting to nearly US$18 billion. ―This is a very critical stage needed to resolve the country‘s debt issue and any kind of stalemate would derail the whole process,‖ Job Musara, a development economist with a local university said in an interview on Thursday. AfDB president Dr Adesina said the bank was working with the Government of Zimbabwe to develop innovative financial instruments and structures that can be used to frontload the mobilisation of US$3,5 billion to compensate the farmers. Dr Adesina appealed to development partners ―to work together on this proposed structure which can help leverage capital markets to fund compensations without additional debt for Zimbabwe.‖ He, however, cautioned against further delays, which could erode trust and confidence. ―So, timing counts; responsiveness counts; and financial sustainability counts,‖ Dr Adesina said. He expressed concern over the country‘s debt and a ―debt accumulation from arrears that don‘t have an end in sight.‖ ―Zimbabwe cannot run up the hill of economic recovery carrying a backpack of debt on its back. It is time for a comprehensive debt arrears clearance and debt resolution for Zimbabwe. But getting there is not a walk in the park. We must address history, to make history.‖ He added, ―The debt itself is not as debilitating as the arrears on the debt since the country cannot access international concessional financing or other revenue or less expensive financing to pay down its debt obligations.‖ Speaking during a high-level debt resolution forum in May, President Mnangagwa reassured development partners and creditors that Zimbabwe was committed to the implementation of key economic and political reforms critical to resolving the country‘s debts and arrears. Zimbabwe‘s total consolidated debt stands at US$17,5 billion. Debt owed to international creditors stands at US$14,04 billion, while domestic debt stands at US$3, 4 billion. Debt owed to bilateral creditors is estimated at US$5,75 billion, while debt to multilateral creditors is estimated at US$2,5 billion. The country is in arrears for servicing its debt, with arrears to multilateral development banks, including the African Development Bank, the World Bank, and the European Investment Bank. Zimbabwe began to compulsorily acquire farms owned by about 5 000 white farmers at the turn of the millennium in an exercise it said was meant to redress colonial imbalances. The exercise, which attracted widespread criticism from the West and their allies triggered the imposition of various forms of economic sanctions against Harare. Under the country‘s Constitution, two types of farmers are supposed to be compensated for both land and improvements on farms and these included (1) a group of ―indigenous‖ Zimbabweans, or black farmers and (2) white farmers who had land protected by Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreements (BIPPAs). Latest efforts towards engaging creditor nations During the AfDB annual general meetings in May this year in Egypt, Sharm El Sheik Resort, Dr Adesina

24 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 set aside a day to facilitate a meeting between Zimbabwean President Mnangagwa and representatives of creditor nations and funding institutions. During the highly subscribed meeting, a number of development partners and creditors embraced Zimbabwe‘s arrears clearance and debt resolution process, with some expressing interest to work with Harare on various development programmes for the country to regain its footing after being burdened by debt and devastated by sanctions for a long time. Only America was offside as its representative insisted his would not participate in any forum discussing Zimbabwe arrears clearance and debt resolution as long as the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act was still in place. – Business Weekly CLIMATE CHANGE IS UPON US A LOT of events are unfolding before us. Some are entertaining. Some are sad. Some give hope, while others are scary. In the main, the world and the earth are headed towards potentially huge catastrophes if humans do not invest their attention in the right existential threats. Admittedly, humans can only have one concentrated focus at a time. The basic belief behind multi-tasking is an illusion and what is before us demands that we be more focused on one thing — climate change. The war in Ukraine is still upon us for unclear reasons despite having a devastating global economic impact. Its impact is worsening what COVID19 started and it is perpetuated by nothing but human greed and egos. Even if the war ends today, the economic impact will remain for decades. Nonetheless, the senseless war must end so we can all focus on what is unfolding before us — climate change. The past weeks were characterised by what looked like beautiful events with people in Johannesburg and other parts of South Africa posting photos of snowfall. Social media platforms, for once looked like there was an early Christmas experience akin to the northern hemisphere. In Gauteng, South Africa, they experienced the coldest week of 2023 when temperatures dropped below the freezing mark. This was due to the cold front that was expected to hit the northern part of the country. Some argued that Monday July 10 was recorded as the coldest day in a dozen years. Snow is not a new phenomenon in the mountain Kingdom of Lesotho, but it started as early as May and has continued throughout the larger of this winter. All these developments are accompanied by some excitement but there are part of bigger events happening around us. As the southern hemisphere enjoyed the snowfall and white blanket cover that lay across much of Gauteng, the northern hemisphere had a different story to endure. Severe heatwaves were sweeping across Asia, Europe and North America and the month of July this year holds the record for the hottest day in history. The heatwaves sent millions of people scrambling for water, cooling facilities, and cover. That was not all. Canada and several other countries in the northern hemisphere experienced intense wildfires posing a major threat to human life, infrastructure, and livelihoods. It is not just extreme cold weather and heatwaves. Several Asian countries, including India, China, Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea are grappling with severe rains, flooding, and landslides. Hundreds of people have been killed, while hundreds of thousands have been affected or displaced. And again, just like the freezing temperatures and heatwaves, the amount of rain received is reported to be recordbreaking — a scenario that tells us that our situation on mother earth has changed. We either must step up efforts to slow down climate change or adapt quickly. There is a challenge with the way climate change has been handled over the past three decades. At a higher level, it has been treated as a political issue instead of a threat to humanity. One conference after another, there have been agreements and arguments over carbon emissions, and these have turned into power contests instead of being platforms for solutions. It is at grassroot levels where the real impact of climate change is felt. Consecutive droughts and warm temperatures are depleting surface water levels and contributing to environmental degradation. This means that arable land is slowly depleting thus exposing millions of people to hunger and destitution. In some places, scarcity of natural resources is causing tensions and Policy

25 | P a g e free of charge, free to distribute WhatsApp +263773376128 Weekly Edition 2023 Issue 16 Tue 25 July 2023 conflict, while in others it is resulting in internal displacement and migration both of which can trigger tensions. The more the large part of mother earth becomes unusable, the more people will be squashed in habitable places. This too may result in conflicts. The million-dollar question is whether something can be done to slow down or reverse climate change. So far scientists tell us that while the world cannot stop global warming overnight, we can slow the pace and limit the amount of global warming by reducing carbon emissions of heat-trapping gases and soot. Carbon energy powers industrialisation which gave us the current economic growth. It is the mainstay of our current ability to be productive and sustain lives. But recent studies have shown that carbon energy is replaceable but doing so threatens the global political power system and that is where the issue is. Scientists tell us that if all carbon emissions of heat-trapping gases stopped today, the temperatures may continue to rise albeit at a slower pace for a couple of decades allowing the release of excess heat stored in the deep oceans to the surface. The assumption is that once this process happens, it is possible that the earth‘s temperature can stabilise. These are some of the issues member States and parties must grapple with at the 2023 Climate Change Conference (COP 28) from November 30 to December 12 at the Expo City, Dubai. The world is pinning its hopes on these conferences mainly the realisation that climate change is no longer in the future but in our midst.. DAM WATCH (AS AT 5 JUNE 2023) D A M N A M E F U L L S U P P L Y C A P A C I T Y % F U L L (millions of cubic metres) Kariba 64800.00 29.5 Tugwi Mukosi 1802.6 96.6 Mutirikwi 1378.08 98.7 Manyame 480.23 95.1 Osborne 401.64 94.7 Mazvikadei 343.815 98.1 Manyuchi 309.06 97.8 Manjirenji 274.17 51.8 Sebakwe 265.733 72.1 Chivero 247.18 93.1 Insiza 173.49 71.4 Zhovhe 130.46 90.8 Siya 105.45 82.8 Inyankuni 74.52 37.3 Arcadia 55.29 100. 0 Mtshabezi 51.99 83.3 Upper Ncema 43.57 46.9 Mzingwane 42.17 14.0 Mazowe 39.357 93.6 Bubi-Lupane 39.09 83.9 Mwenje 36.11 97.0 Masembura 25.77 99.0 Silalabuhwa 23.22 80.1 Lower Ncema 14.87 3.1 Harava 9.026 92.7 Upper Insiza 7.81 78.2 Seke 3.38 78.6 Source: ZINWA; ZAMBEZI RIVER AUTHORITY Unlimited Advertising Space: Call +263773376128 to book your space in next week’s issue Dam Watch

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