By Kuda Pembere
Zimbabwe is losing out on the beef export market for it is largely producing low quality meat, particularly the Economy grade. This has been attributed to the shortage of feed and fodder in the country, coupled with the El Nino induced drought which has claimed about 9000 cattle.
This grade ranks the lowest in the classification of beef as the Super grade comes up top, followed by the Choice Grade, and then the Commercial Grade. Experts say when the animal is classified as economy grade, it is of moderate muscle development with bones being prominent due to lack of meat. They also state the animal could have little or no fat.
Mrs Rutendo Nyahoda, Livestock Production and Department (LPD) deputy director in the Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development Ministry, also the Resilient African Feed and Fodder Systems (RAFFS) Zimbabwe focal point, said Zimbabwe currently has low grade meat.
“And we are also talking of inability to effectively compete on the export market of our products. Unfortunately, MC Meats did not manage to present today, but I think if we are to quote in terms of quality, majority of the meat that we are producing in Zimbabwe when it’s graded, majority of that meat I think is around the Economy, those lower grades,” she said.
She added that countries hardly import low quality beef.
“The super grades, we are talking of very low production levels of super grades. But you would hardly find countries that would like to import low quality grades,” she said.
While there seems to be hesitancy to finance the feed and fodder sector in the country by finance corporations, Mrs Nyahoda said the growing of fodder in the country could be an opportunity to supply and meet regional and international demand.
“We are also faced with the challenge of low levels of investment in the livestock sector. And also, the opportunity that we have or the advantage that we have is, as a country, we clearly have a comparative advantage and we can successively tap on the market opportunities presented by the growing local, regional, and international demand for animal products,” she said.
She stated that some mothers, understanding how milk is important in fighting malnutrition, they are keeping some for their children but in small quantities.
“And we all know that the absence of animal source foods in any diet will always lead to those challenges. Most of our farmers, what they will do is they keep livestock, and if you are looking at cattle, normally it’s owned by the father, so they’re normally looking for income generation.
“You may find a household with stunted children, but they’re selling milk. And it’s only mothers who normally understand that, okay, as much as I produce the 20 liters, I can sell 18, and I need to keep 2 liters for my children to minimize the effects of stunting,” said Ms Nyahoda. “So the livestock sector is very important if we are to reduce those levels of malnutrition.”
She also mentioned the dwindling of grazing land in the country is affecting livestock production in the country. This she says, is due to the growing population in the country where people are invading the pastures.
“Also, at some point in time, I think what we all know that Zimbabwe is a total land area of this, and at some point in time we also used to know what proportion was available for grazing. But as time moved on, most of that land is used for human settlement. And as a result, land available for grazing continues dwindling,” Mrs Nyahoda said.
