Cattle Buying Scheme Launched for Farmers

ZIMBABWE - Farmers in Zimbabwe will be able to buy cattle through monthly instalments under a scheme launched by the Cattle Ownership Trust to help boost livestock production.

1 June 2012

2 minute read

Africa

According to Bernama.com, under the scheme, farmers are expected to pay a minimum of 35 USD per month over a period of five years for 10 head of cattle, an official of the Cattle Ownership Trust, Rutendo Moyo, told New Ziana.

The scheme was launched upon the realisation that farmers were failing to access adequate funds to boost their herds.

"We have introduced a five-year investment plan that will allow farmers to buy cattle after realising that some farmers had no access to funds to buy cattle at once," she said.

"With the flexible payment plan, farmers will be able to buy cattle over a certain period and at the same time concentrate on other activities on the farm that require money."'

Ms Moyo said the cattle would be kept at the Trust's various farms in all the provinces. "We will keep the cattle on behalf of the farmer and these can only be collected after three years into the programme or after the complete five years," she said.'

"After every yearly contribution, a farmer would have earned themselves two cattle which translate to six or more after three years when they are eligible to collect (the cattle), depending on the category (or repayment) chosen by the farmer."

She said farmers would be allowed to request for field visits to tour the farms and ranches where the cattle would be kept during the duration of the plan.

"Since we have ranches in every province farmers are free to choose the area where they want their cattle to be kept," said Ms Moyo.

The scheme has been divided into five categories to meet the different needs of farmers. Under the first category, a farmer pays US$35 per month and gets two head of cattle per year. In the second category, the farmer pays US$70 per month and gets four head of cattle per year.

Under the third category, farmers pay US$95 per month and get six head of cattle. For a farmer to get eight head of cattle per year, he would be required to pay US$135 per month. In the last category, farmers pay US$165 per month and get 10 head of cattle per year.