Hunger Hits Chisamba Livestock

By Linda Mupemo 



Cows search for pasture in Chisamba 


Chisamba District Fisheries and Livestock Coordinator Magula Chikoondo has urged livestock farmers to embrace forage production to enhance good nutrition for their livestock all year round. 



Dr. Chikoondo noted that most small scale livestock farmers in the area depend on wild fodder to feed their animals, a practice he described as unsustainable in the wake of climate change. 



Speaking in an interview with ZANIS, Dr. Chikoondo stated that livestock farmers should be deliberate about growing food for their animals like they do human food. 


Dr. Chikoondo explained that fodder takes a short period  of time to grow adding that the short rainy season experienced in the previous season was adequate for the fodder to grow had farmers planted. 



“It is a bad idea for livestock farmers to leave their livestock’s feeding at the mercy of nature. With the climate crisis we are faced with, most streams and dambo areas have dried up. This has resulted in shortage of wild fodder for animals,” he said. 



Dr. Chikoondo called on livestock farmers to consider venturing into irrigation farming for forage production with a view to saving their animals. 



He encouraged livestock farmers in the area to take advantage of the upcoming wheat harvest period to source for left over wheat to be used as fodder for their livestock.


Animals in the area are susceptible to diseases due to malnutrition 


“We are calling on livestock farmers to also source for maize stalks from farmers engaged in off season maize production. The stalks can be used as feed too. Our farmers need to take extra care of their animals during this period as most are currently susceptible to disease occurrences due to undernourishment, “ he said. 



Meanwhile, Livestock Farmer Roy Mweemba has called on Government to consider supplying subsidised fodder seeds to small scale farmers to enable them grow food for feeding their animals amid the climate crisis. 


Mr. Mweemba said the drought Zambia recently experienced has led to feed scarcity for his cattle. 


He added that there is need to come up with urgent solutions aimed at saving both human beings and animals in the new climatic environment. 

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