Mhondoro-Mubaira legislator Cde Sylvester Nguni has urged communal farmers to complement Government programmes that contribute in the resuscitation of the economy. Addressing hundreds of villagers at Rwizi Business Centre last week during the handover of nine bulls to the constituency, Cde Nguni said Zimbabweans should not rely on handouts and work hard to “drive” their economy.

The bulls are part of Zanu-PF’s efforts to restock the national herd. The Mhondoro-Mubaira cattle breeding programme has so far seen more than 72 bulls, of different breeds, being introduced in the area.

Makera Cattle Company, a firm specialising in beef production, is working with the farmers to produce top quality calves, in a programme expected to augment farmers’ income.

The company is providing the bulls. “The country will only move forward if you support developmental programmes initiated by Government,” he said. “Let us be masters of own destiny. You must not wait for handouts from donors but should strive and be donors yourself.”

Cde Nguni said cattle ranching was vital for the resuscitation of the economy and should be taken seriously. “Every type of farming you do is a business. “If we restock our national herd, it means our economy would have also been boosted,” said Cde Nguni. “You should not take this programme lightly, as it is essential to our lives.

“Beef exports we used to have are no longer there because people are not taking cattle ranching seriously,” Cde Nguni added. Cattle breeding, he said, would improve the quality of beef in the country and would also provide farmers with income.

Cde Nguni, who is also the Minister of State in Vice President Joice Mujuru’s office, urged the farmers to safeguard the bulls.