THE livestock industry has faced serious challenges over the years restricting its performance to below-par levels.
Yet livestock plays a key component in the agriculture sector and contributes an estimated 35 per cent to the agriculture’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The livestock industry has numerous comparative advantages that favour expansion, ranging from vast grazing pastures and water necessary for livestock production.
Zambia has a cattle population of more than three million and a grazing hectarage of 20.3 million. With such vast area, cattle population can reach 10 million heads, but this requires ensuring that animal healthcare is prioritised.
Statistics show that the livestock sector experienced steady growth, notably in beef and dairy product marketing that was increasing at a ratio of five to seven per cent and 10 per cent per annum, respectively.
Sadly, Zambian beef production and sales to lucrative export markets have been hit by outbreaks of diseases, thus reducing on the potential revenue generation for the country’s economy.
The country is, however, keen to continue as one of the top and prime beef-exporting countries in Africa.
Disease outbreaks affecting cattle has attracted trade restrictions in the export of beef products, especially to the European market. This alone has seen the country lose more than US$200 million in export earnings annually.
The vast potential of the beef industry also remains limited because of negligence regarding healthcare for the country’s animals, confining Zambia’s exports to the main-stay of underground minerals and maize, among other products.
It is crucial to guarantee good health of animals, and this can be done by ensuring the abundance of dipping tanks in communal farming areas around the country.
Dip tanks have a role to play in ensuring that animals are given the optimum amount of care and treatment that is beneficial to their health.
Controlling animal diseases is the only sure way that the country can break into the export zones for beef products, whose demand is high.
Agriculture and Livestock Deputy Minister Luxon Kazabu underscored the Government’s determination to revamp dip tanks and construct more of these facilities around the country.
This desire, backed by action, is what will help the farming community, especially those in the small-scale bracket.
Mr Kazabu indicated that K3 million had since been released from the resource envelop of K52 million, which has been apportioned for the countrywide project in the 2015 National Budget.
This is a positive step towards addressing challenges that hinder efficiency to earn Zambia more from exports of beef products.
The intervention is timely and should be supported so that the longstanding dream of a sound livestock industry can be attained and repositioned as was in the past.
There has been high demand for Zambian beef in Southern Africa and the world at large, but what kills this scale of demand is rampart animal diseases, which the Government is determined to address.
The indication that the Government has started the disbursement of funds and, in some areas, contractors have already been identified and are ready to embark on the rehabilitation and construction of the much-needed dip tanks, provides a fresh platform to generate more income from this sector.
Once this is implemented, it will reduce poverty levels due to its beneficial effects on the economy. This is the more reason why the livestock sub-sector has been identified in the Sixth National Development Plan as being instrumental to sustainable development, poverty reduction and job creation.
Despite the allocation to revamp the dip tanks, a livestock development policy is already on the cards.
On a wider scale, this is the way to go and as an upcoming agriculture country, a livestock development policy is fundamental as it will define the overall objectives and set specific priority policy guidelines and strategies. OPINION