Meaty issues at ZHB Beef school 2024

This year’s edition of the Zimbabwe Herd Book (ZHB) Annual Beef School was recently held in Bulawayo, the capital of cattle country. Catering for a full house of serious cattlemen and women, it had a packed programme.

An impressive lineup of experts from within the southern African region addressed topics aimed at enhancing the practices and profitability of beef cattle production in Zimbabwe. “The country is experiencing one of the worst droughts in years hence our choice of speakers to address ways to maximise feed value off what you have on-farm,” ZHB Interim Chair, Anne Cooke told attendees.

Beef School speakers
Standing left to right: Ian Brown, Dr Hinner Koster, Dr Mark Jubenkanda, Ajs Kirk, Chris Cillers, Rhys Sims
Seated left to right: Llewellyn Angus, Johan Styger, Anne Cooke, Prof John Lawrence, Jaco Erasmus, Dr Mario Beffa, Dr Doug Bruce

Spread over three days and held in one venue, the Beef School also allows attendees to network with fellow beef producers and sector stakeholders. Organised farming with events such as this are invaluable for the well-being and orderliness of our beef industry.

This is the first in a series of articles which will share highlights from this year’s event and it kicks off with the importance and benefits of organised, formal groups of like-minded individuals and businesses.

Zimbabwe Beef Producers Society

Just over two years ago, the Zimbabwe Beef Producers Society was launched. Whilst it continues to be a working and very active collective, membership has not grown as much as the committee has hoped and word needs to be spread about this society. In light of this, chairman George Chiunda took the opportunity to speak to delegates on the benefits of belonging to a farmers’ lobby body such as this.

A unified, organised voice for beef producers, the ZBPS has been born out of a long-held need to represent, advocate for, and represent the interests of all beef producers in Zimbabwe.

It exists for the improvement of the conditions precedent to the production of good quality Zimbabwean beef. Their mission is to promote the growth of the beef industry in our country and the ZBPS will continue to work for the improvement of conditions of entry into the industry, and advocate for a milieu that will see small-scale farmers grow their beef operations and profitability.

One such result of their efforts was the dropping of VAT on the sales of live animals, effective from the beginning of August this year.

The ZBPS is working with the Department of Veterinary Services, its parent Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development and other agencies to enhance the internal market and to re-establish external markets for beef producers.

Aims and objectives

1. Growth - To promote the long-term prosperity of Zimbabwean beef through growth and development of our beef industry

2. Advocacy - to advocate on behalf of all in the beef industry, including:

• • State Agencies
  • Feed Producers
  • Veterinary Suppliers
  • Auctioneers and Abattoirs
  • Marketing Agencies and Consumers.

3. Information - providing a channel for obtaining, distilling and passing on important information about the industry including but not limited to:

• • Veterinary Department concerns
  • Policy proposals and changes.
  • Changes in industry practice
  • Individuals and organisations seeking membership of the Livestock and Meat Advisory Council (LMAC)

4. Education - dissemination of information about beef management and the business of growing beef.

• • Stock Keepers’ Courses
  • Field Days
  • Access to cash flow tools - financial and production performance analysis for beef cattle
  • Running cattle on green manure

Membership

Importantly, the ZBPS is non-affiliated and will work with all and everybody who has aligned objectives. Members of the ZHB automatically become members of the ZBPS and registered breeders are also members.

Membership fees

Communal and small-scale farmers (A1) - Up to 20 people in one membership, USD20 per year; all other farmers, USD20 per individual per year.

For more information contact ZBPS via their directory listing here.