Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
cattle sector in favour of the formal sector (Figure 11.2). As in the maize marketing system,
the informal cattle trading became increasingly dominated by barter trading and use of
foreign currency.
11.5.2 Public auctions
Public auctions remain one of the formal market channels in the cattle industry. Before
land reform, farmers used to sell their cattle to abattoirs and companies like Agri-auctions,
CC-Sales which are now inactive in the Mwenezi area. The old arrangement saw butcheries
buying their cattle products from the abattoirs. Commercial farmers also used to contact
their auctions at Bubi Cattle Pens being co-ordinated by CC sales and Agri-Auctions. These
seized to participate after the FTLRP. According to one newly resettled commercial farmer:
'Some buyers don't participate in auctions for fear of being labelled as supporters
of the land reform' (Interview, New Large Scale Farmer, Mwenezi District, 22
July 2009).
Currently, new buyers have emerged in the market. Prominent among these are Montana
meats, Cold Storage Company, Circle Y, Bulawayo Abattoirs, Carswell Meats and small
unregistered dealers. Big abattoirs have not been very active in direct cattle purchases in
Mwenezi District, but have relied heavily on cattle traders and middlemen.
The FTLRP period has also witnessed the closure of most farm-based small butcheries.
At the height of economic downturn in Zimbabwe, Colcom meat processors closed and
it's now trading as Montana meats. After the land reform and the decline of Cold Storage
Company in Zimbabwe, an estimated sixteen (16) indigenous abattoirs emerged and mostly
based in Bulawayo. These have played a significant role in cattle marketing in Mwenezi
District, which falls within the procurement zones of Bulawayo.
Sources from AGRITEX and Mwenezi RDC confirmed that no effective cattle sales were
contracted in newly resettled farms until 2004. Between 2000 and 2004, there was a lot
of uncertainty about the future of the new farmers in their newly acquired farms. Most
farmers had therefore not moved their livestock from the communal homelands until 2004,
when the Local government authorities (Mwenezi District Council) established buying
points and started conducting public cattle auctions in the new farming areas. Though this
was a positive move, cattle sales were however halted at certain intervals due to the outbreak
of cattle diseases like foot and mouth and anthrax. Uncontrolled cattle movement from
old communal areas to new areas was blamed for the increase in disease outbreaks. Longer
periods would lapse before auctions could resume due to short supply of cattle vaccines
and veterinary personnel to curb the devastating diseases. Although, formal markets were
regularly interrupted, informal and illegal cattle trading continued. These were from
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