First Round of Crops, Livestock, and Fisheries Ass...

First Round of Crops, Livestock, and Fisheries Assessment Concludes

Oscar J. Jeke

Zim Now Reporter

Government has completed the First Round of Crops, Livestock, and Fisheries Assessment for the 2024/2025 agricultural season, revealing significant increases in staple cereal cultivation, livestock production, and horticulture, despite challenges posed by an El Niño-induced drought.

According to the report presented by Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, Dr. Anxious Jongwe Masuka, during Tuesday’s post-Cabinet media briefing in Harare, the area planted under staple cereals, including maize and traditional grains, rose to 2,540,385 hectares, surpassing the initial target of 2,520,000 hectares. This marks an increase from the previous season.

The horticulture sector also experienced growth, with expansions in the cultivation of blueberries, oranges, and coffee. The total area planted under horticulture increased slightly from 11,952 hectares last season to 11,957 hectares.

Livestock production recorded notable improvements, with the national beef cattle herd growing by 0.4% to 5,741,397, while the dairy herd rose by 8.7% to 65,659, resulting in a 15% increase in raw milk production. Poultry farming under the Presidential Rural Poultry Scheme also gained momentum, with over 751,000 indigenous chicks distributed to farmers, up from 200,161 the previous year.

“Concerning livestock, the national beef cattle herd grew by 0.4% from 5,718,523 in 2023 to 5,741,397 in 2024. The national dairy herd increased by 8.7% from 60,398 in 2023 to 65,659 in 2024. This resulted in a 15% increase in raw milk production to 11,699,440 litres from 9,823,775 litres in 2023,” Minister Masuka stated.

In response to the findings, the government has outlined several policy measures, including optimizing cloud seeding operations, accelerating irrigation development, strengthening local production of farming inputs, and expanding drought mitigation strategies.

Plans are also in place to boost aquaculture through the establishment of five fingerling production centers across the country.