El Nino-farmers suffer huge discounts on livestock in Zimbabwe
Goat Meat
Published Mar 25, 2024
Tridge summary
The El Niño-induced drought in Zimbabwe is severely impacting rural communities, particularly affecting farmers who are forced to sell their livestock at significantly reduced prices due to disrupted rainfall patterns and drier conditions. This situation is threatening food security, with livestock and cotton crops, both vital sources of income, being sold for a fraction of their value. Exploitative practices by livestock dealers in Gokwe Business Center, offering unfairly low prices, have prompted the Competition and Tariff Commission to take action against potential anti-competitive practices. The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development advises farmers to destock non-productive animals to mitigate losses and promote sustainable farming practices amidst dwindling water and grazing resources.
Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.
Original content
Source: The Herald – Breaking news. Martin Kadzere The effects of El Niño drought are tightening their grip on Zimbabwe’s rural communities, forcing desperate farmers to sell off their prized livestock – primarily goats and cattle– to abattoirs, butcheries and middlemen at heavily discounted prices. El Niño, a phenomenon, characterised by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Pacific, disrupts rainfall patterns and often leading to drier conditions–has triggered drought fears in Zimbabwe and southern Africa, threatening food prices and inflation. Livestock are vital sources of income for rural households in Zimbabwe and critical for their sustenance. Several peasant farmers in Sanyati District in Mashonaland West Province, Gokwe North and South in the Midlands Province told The Herald Finance & Business that they were offloading their cattle, goats and sheep for a fraction of their usual value, as farmers seek to buy food to feed their families. According to the farmers, ...
By clicking “Accept Cookies,” I agree to provide cookies for statistical and personalized preference purposes.
To learn more about our cookies, please read our Privacy Policy.