COMMERCIALIZATION OF BEEF PRODUCTION AFTER THE FAST

TRACK LAND REFORM PROGRAM IN ZIMBABWE: A CASE STUDY OF NEW

SETTLEMENTS IN MANGWE DISTRICT.

Prof. Carroll Themba KhombeInstitute for Rural Technologies, 49 J. Tongogara, Bulawayo,

Zimbabwe

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, October 25-28, 2010

The Fast Track Land Reforms resulted in a radical transformation of the agricultural sector:

3 000 mainly white commercial farmers ceded the land to about 20 000 black farmers

• Collapse of commercial agriculture• Human Rights violations• Food insecurity• Economic callaspe• Targetted sanctions• Widthdrawal from the World Bank and IMF

Revolutionary changes resulted in the break-down of the beef industry since;

• by 1993, the commercial herd fell from 30% to 7 % of the national herd;

• high level commodity chains collapsed because of reduced supply and demand

• massive unemployment and economic collapse

The process opened opportunities for smallholder farmers to participate meaningfully in the high value commodity chain

Smallholder farmers were settled in larger land holdings in villagised commercial settlements

Home steads

Communal Pastures

LivestockHandling Facilities

Watering Point

Home stead

Communal Pastures

LivestockHandling Facilities

Watering Point

Fields

Draught Animals

Milking Cows

Finishing Animals to the Market

Market

Villagised A1 model

IndividualisedA2 model

3-Tier model Additional grazing

Researchers from IRT undertook a Land and Livelihoods study from 2007 to 2008. Study covered Fast Track resettlement farms in Mangwe district: • 15 villagised resettlement areas (A1 model) of Marula ward (364 households)

• 5 farms in Marula ward & 8 farms in Empandeni ward (A2 model with 169 families

• 13 farms acquired for grazing for communal areas (3-tier model with 667 families)

Thirteen youths were trained to conduct the Land and Livelihoods survey

These enumerators visited individual farms and completed the questionnaire through holding one-on-one interviews with the plotholders.

The data collected was analysed using SPSS.

Criteria was used to determine the status of the settlers to engage in commercial beef production:

• Profiles of the plotholders • Formation of farmer organizations • Level of application of improved beef husbandry practices• Availability of infrastructure to enhance beef production• Type and numbers of cattle available in the farms.

Profile of SettlersResettlement Model

TotalA1 A2 3-tier

Gender Male 152 118 353 623

Female 53 15 76 144

Age Group < 15 years

4 0 2 6

15 to 65 years

186 113 317 616

>65 years

10 21 113 144

Responses given for profiles of individuals that were resettled in the Fast Track Resettlement Program in Mangwe District

Profile of SettlersResettlement Model

TotalA1 A2 3-tier

Level of education

No education

22 5 30 57

Primary 55 84 198 337Secondary 48 41 123 212Certificate 7 6 21 34

Employment status

Not employed

79 63 256 396

Employed 62 41 77 180Self employed

60 31 97 188

Responses given for profiles of individuals that were resettled in the Fast Track Resettlement Program in Mangwe District

Type of institutionResettlement Model

TotalA1 A2 3-tier

Commodity Associations

Yes 62 8 64 134

No 90 39 338 467

Irrigation Committees

Yes 52 16 82 150

No 115 32 324 471Cooperative Projects

Yes 90 7 93 190

No 80 39 313 432

Number of respondents that were aware about the existence of farmers’ groupings to exploit economies of scale

Profile of SettlersResettlement Model

TotalA1 A2 3-tier

Methods of castration

Do not castrate 33 8 5 46Knife 22 36 45 103Burdizzo 92 78 340 510

Method of animal identification

No identification

12 0 0 12

Paint 0 5 3 8Branding 57 94 193 344Ear notching /tag

14 1 2 17

Methods of deworming

No dosing 26 1 89 116Bottle 62 41 220 323Medicine applicator

16 11 21 48

Dosing gun 54 76 47 177

Responses received about the application of improved livestock husbandry practices in the resettlement areas.

`Profile of Settlers

Resettlement Model Total

A1 A2 3-tier

Methods of tick removal

Do not use anything

10 29 5 44

Apply tick grease

4 16 38 58

Apply pour-on acaricide

1 0 1 2

Plunge dip 130 56 317 503Spray race 12 25 6 43Other methods 1 0 32 33

Method of weaning

Do not wean 39 11 300 350Separation 28 15 19 62Weaning plate 57 50 51 158

Responses received about the application of improved livestock husbandry practices in the resettlement areas.

Profile of SettlersResettlement Model

TotalA1 A2 3-tier

Number of functional paddocks

Zero 9 39 192 2401 to 5 86 74 39 1995 to 10 66 3 72 7110 to 15 37 0 40 77Above 15

0 0 2 2

Number of functional dip tanks

None 38 78 248 3641 138 40 94 2722 18 0 3 21

3 0 0 3 3

Livestock infrastructure that is available in the resettlement Areas

Profile of SettlersResettlement Model

TotalA1 A2 3-tier

Number of cattle per household

No cattle 16 8 97 1211 to 5 63 13 29 1056 to 10 13 8 60 8111 to 15 5 7 32 4416 to 20 7 4 20 31>25 7 16 36 59

Major cattle breeds

Indigenous 43 19 87 149Exotic 6 1 11 18Mixed 13 2 75 90

Response showing cattle holdings in the resettlement areas

CONCLUSIONUrgent measures need to be taken to resuscitate commercial beef production in Zimbabwe

Need to support the commodity chains that create employment and revenue.

Recommended that investments should be made in the following areas:

• restocking the new farms using adapted high yielding breeds

• strengthening farmers-driven commodity associations

• establishing linkages with high value markets