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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…
From neglect to necessity: How pasture production can revolutionise farming in Zimbabwe
By Selected Seeds At the recent Zimbabwe Herd Book Beef School held in Bulawayo, a fascinating exchange took place that shed light on the perceptions surrounding pasture production in Zimbabwe. As I engaged with farmers at the Selected Seeds booth, one comment stood out as a farmer voiced, “I believe pasture production is only for…
The meaty Mashura Beefmaster herd
Beefmaster cattle are a composite breed developed in America in the 1930s by Tom Lasater, they blend the bos Indicus Brahman (50%), bos Taurus Hereford (25%), and Shorthorn genetics (25%). This combination was developed to create a breed with enhanced fertility, hardiness, and adaptability, making Beefmasters well-suited for diverse environmental conditions and effective in crossbreeding…
Off the beaten track into cattle ranching territory
When I was offered the chance to come along on a trip to a remote cattle ranch in Matabeleland South, I leapt at the opportunity. My trip there was offered to me by one half of a farming family in Marondera who bought into this cattle business 15 years ago. Since then, the rancher, his…
Building resilience and sustainability in agripreneurship – Reflections from the Youth Agripreneurship Summit
The Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) recently hosted a transformative Youth Agripreneurship Summit, embodying the theme Building Resilience and Sustainability in a Changing World. This event gathered farmers and aspiring agripreneurs from across the nation to explore strategies for thriving amid the challenges of an ever-changing world. A day of inspiration The summit featured a lineup…
Managing salt injury in tobacco seedbeds
Our Tobacco Research Board, Kutsaga, has issued the following advisory on how to manage salt injury in tobacco seedbeds. The tobacco float seedling production system occasionally exposes plants to salt injury, especially where there is excessive evaporation due to winds or high temperatures. By Dr Susan Dimbi The float system technology offers numerous benefits for…
Rainfall outlook for Zimbabwe 2024/25 season
Last week, we shared the Twenty-Ninth Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF-29) rainy season forecast for the SADC region. This week, we are sharing our own national forecast, presented and shared by our Meteorological Services Department. The Meteorological Services Department of Zimbabwe (MSD) annually convenes a National Climate Outlook Forum (NACOF) in September, where…
Turning off the lights at Kariba
Lake Kariba is the pride of Zimbabwe, an enduring symbol of engineering triumph. The vast man-made reservoir straddling the banks of Zambia and Zimbabwe was built on the Zambezi River. The dam and six floodgates were built between 1955 and 1959 primarily for hydropower generation. However, the El Niño event of 2023 raises concerns about…
Outlook for Southern Africa’s climate: key findings from SARCOF-29
The Twenty-Ninth Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF-29) was held from August 26 to 28, 2024, in Harare. This forum brought together climate experts from various Southern African Development Community (SADC) National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and the SADC Climate Services Centre (CSC) to assess and forecast climate patterns for the upcoming 2024/2025…
Zimbabwe cattle traceability scheme celebrates 25 years of service to the livestock industry
The Livestock Identification Trust (LIT) celebrates its 25th year of business this month. The office opened on August 16, 1999 with Dr Mario Beffa as the General Manager and a team of 23 staff members. At an event held to celebrate this milestone achievement, Dr Beffa shared an insight into the Trust’s inception and growth…