Zimbabwe: 9 875 cattle succumb to El Niño effects

Precious Manomamo Herald Reporter AT least 49 cattle died last week from the effects of poor pastures and rainfall induced by the El Niño in Midlands, Masvingo, Matabeleland North and South bringing the number of cattle that have succumbed to the effects of El Niño in the past year to 9 875. The rains now falling across the country have been slashing the death rate, with some pastures now growing and clean water is now readily available for livestock. In a weekly report, the Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) indicated that in the affected four provinces a total of 1 488 523 cattle were identified as high-risk animals prone to drought and poverty deaths out of a total of 2 882 710 animals. But the report also noted that some parts of Binga district in Matabeleland North and Bulilima district in Matabeleland South were still facing drinking water and grazing challenges. In a recent interview, Matabeleland South acting provincial agricultural director rural ...