Farmers cry foul

FARMERS in Matabeleland have lamented that they are not properly equipped with skills in livestock production because of lack of veterinary colleges in the region.

Mbeko Kunene told that farmers in the region have the potential to boost productivity if they get the requisite training.

"There are no veterinary colleges in the region for farmers and animal husbandry is a challenge in maintaining good hides as well as use of the right chemical for a value chain,’’ Kunene said.

He said the government is letting them down by importing footwear when they can produce it locally.

Farmers said that they are given about 150 hectares of land resulting in overgrazing.

They also claimed that they do not receive further support from the government unlike crop farmers who bene t annually from the Presidential Input Scheme and Pfumvudza/Intwasa.

Gwanda State University dean Busani Moyo said the university has the mandate to o er veterinary science, but the department has not yet been operationalised.