DROUGHT conditions across the southern parts of the country persist despite sporadic rainfall recorded since the start of the rainy season.
But it is not enough, according to farmers.
According to Wasserfall, he has already lost about 300 sheep as a result of prevailing drought conditions and stock theft.
“All elements are against us,” he stated.
However, the farmer was optimistic about rain next month.
Drought-hit communal farmer Otto Apollus has appealed to government to intervene and assist farmers with supplementary feed.
“We can’t sell to reduce our livestock numbers because many have died due to prevailing drought conditions,” he said, pointing to the marketing scheme government introduced last year to ease the impact of drought on communal livestock farmers.
He suggested that government provide farmers with animal feed, especially during droughts, instead of buying resettlement farms, of which many remain unproductive.
“If government doesn’t reintroduce the supplementary feed subsidy to communal farmers, we will remain losers,” he said.
Resettlement farmer Berra Mungunda said he has lost 52 cattle so far due to the dry conditions, and echoed the sentiments of others calling on government to subsidise farmers with livestock feed in times of drought to keep their animals alive.