The Government of Zimbabwe, led by Deputy Minister Davis Marapira and Dr Josphat Nyika, the chief director of Veterinary Services, is strategizing to grow the national cattle herd, currently at 5.4 million, to achieve self-sufficiency and enhance dietary quality. The plan includes protecting breeding heifers and utilizing artificial insemination to increase the herd, with the government importing semen from around the world and locally breeding semen. The initiative aims to address the decline in cattle numbers due to slaughtering and tick-borne diseases, which have reduced the herd by half a million in the last five years. Additionally, Coopers and Shumba Group are producing animal dipping chemicals to control diseases, supporting the government's efforts to expand the livestock value chain and boost livelihoods in major cattle-rearing regions.