The Sunday Mail
Online Reporter
CATTLE farmers have been urged to sustainably grow the national herd by moving away from unproductive livestock systems that might increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Under National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), Government plans to grow the national herd to eight million cattle by 2025.
However, experts say this has to be done in an orderly and environmentally sustainable manner in line with international GHG protocol.
This came out last Friday during a validation workshop on the development of Zimbabwe’s Tier 2 livestock GHG inventory, which was held in Harare.
The workshop was held in partnership with UNIQUE, a leading consulting firm with technical expertise on sustainable agriculture practices.
Director of the Department of Livestock Research under the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Mr Andrew Chamisa
Department of livestock research director in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Mr Andrew Chamisa said:
“The importance of beef and dairy production to Zimbabwe’s agricultural economy cannot be overemphasised.
“However, the sub-sector is a significant source of GHG emissions, contributing about 7 percent of Zimbabwe’s key category sources and 80 percent of enteric fermentation methane contribution by livestock.”
Enteric fermentation takes place in the digestive systems of animals, particularly ruminants like cattle.
The greenhouse gases from livestock production are methane and nitrous oxide, which, according to experts, have an effect on global warming 28 times higher than carbon dioxide.
Mr Chamisa said Zimbabwe needs to research and come up with an elaborate GHG inventory.
“An elaborate GHG inventory disaggregates cattle emissions by physiological categories, agro-ecological zones and management practices, resulting in improved accuracy in the computation of GHG emissions,” he said.
An expert, Dr Walter Svinurai, who was leading the formulation process for Tier 2 livestock inventory, underscored the need to sustainably increase livestock production while reducing greenhouse gas emissions in response to climate change.
“We can now target why we should keep older animals that are no longer productive in the herd but instead contribute a lot of emissions,” he said.
“Now it is possible that we can decide with farmers to eliminate that part of the herd so that, as we grow our herd, it will be productive and profitable to the nation.”
A climate expert who works with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for Zimbabwe, Mr Alois Tsiga, said effective mitigation measures could only be adopted once the real problem has been identified.
“It is high time we start keeping good-quality cattle for dairy and beef only and lessen unnecessary pressure on environment.
“We want to achieve a herd of eight million good-quality cattle only,” said Mr Tsiga.
However, Mr Tsiga added, this knowledge has to be relayed to all farmers countrywide and tailor-made for each community.
Deputy director for climate change mitigation in the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife Mr Lovemore Dhoba said the GHG inventory is a welcome development.
“Climate change is real, as evidenced by its externalities that have immensely affected socio-economic development and overall livelihoods, and coming up with mitigation measures is a welcome development,” said Mr Dhoba.
UNIQUE consultant Dr Shimkels Wassie said if implemented well, Tier 2 inventory will ensure mitigation measures are in place to counter effects of climate change on livestock.
