Annual Report #1 Livestock Development Program June 2015 – September 2016

Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program | Annual Report #1

Fintrac Inc. www.fintrac.com [email protected]

US Virgin Islands 3077 Kronprindsens Gade 72 St. Thomas, USVI 00802 Tel: (340) 776-7600 Fax: (340) 776-7601

Washington, DC 1400 16th Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20036 USA Tel: (202) 462-8475 Fax: (202) 462-8478

Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program (FTFZ-LD) 5 Premium Close Mt. Pleasant Business Park Mt. Pleasant, Zimbabwe Tel: +263 4 338964-69 [email protected] www.fintrac.com

All Photos by Fintrac

October 2016 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It was prepared by Fintrac Inc. under contract AID-613-C-15-00001 with USAID/Zimbabwe.

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CONTENTS FOREWORD ...... III 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 1 2. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES ...... 5 3. ACTIVITIES ...... 7 3.1 Beneficiaries ...... 7 3.2 Incremental Sales ...... 9 3.3 Gross Margin and Net Income ...... 11 3.3 Productivity ...... 12 3.4 Nutrition and WASH ...... 30 3.5 Business Development and Financial Linkages ...... 35 3.6 Local Capacity Development ...... 43 4. ENVIRONMENT ...... 48 4.1 Training and Technical Assistance ...... 49 4.2 EMMP ...... 50 5. GENDER ...... 54 5.1 Gender Mainstreaming ...... 55 5.2 Gender Trainings ...... 63 5.3 Measuring Gender Impact and Women’s Empowerment ...... 63 5.4 Leadership ...... 63 5.5 Access to Technology, Finance, Credit, and Markets ...... 64 5.6 Strengthening Women and Youth through Groups ...... 64 6. LESSONS LEARNED ...... 66 7. CHALLENGES ...... 68 8. CONCLUSION ...... 69 9. FINANCIAL SUMMARY ...... 73 ANNEX 1. SNAPSHOTS...... 1 ANNEX 2. ILLUSTRATIVE INDICATORS ...... 7 ANNEX 3. LIST OF BUYERS ...... 11 ANNEX 4. LIST OF INPUT SUPPLIERS ...... 12 ANNEX 5. LIST OF ANECDOTAL TABLES ...... 13

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ACRONYMS ABS-TCM African Breeders Services Total Cattle Management Ltd. AI Artificial Insemination ARDA Agricultural and Rural Development Authority CBO Community-based Organization CBS Competitive Brand Shapers CIRIS Client Impact and Results Information System DLPD Division of Livestock Production and Development DVS Department of Veterinary Services EMMP Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan ENSURE Enhancing Nutrition, Stepping Up Resilience and Enterprise FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FMD Foot and Mouth Disease FTF Feed the Future FY Fiscal Year GAPs Good Agricultural Practice(s) GAHPs Good Animal Husbandry Practice(s) GBV Gender-based Violence GDCS Gokwe Dairy Cooperative Society HLLM Holistic Livestock and Land Management IT Information Technology ISAL Individual Savings and Loans LOP Life of Program MCC Milk Collection Center M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MFI Microfinance Institution MOU Memorandum of Understanding NGO Nongovernmental Organization NRM Natural Resource Management PERSUAP Pesticide Evaluation Report and Safer Use Action Plan PPE Personal Protective Equipment RDC Rural District Council RFP Request for Proposal SDC Dairy Cooperative SSC Small-Scale Commercial SUAP Safe Use Action Plan TBC Total Bacterial Count UDA Dairy Association USAID United States Agency for International Development USG US Government VHW Village Health Workers WASH Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

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FOREWORD

The Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program began June 23, 2015 and runs through June 22, 2020. The program is providing training and technical assistance to reduce rural poverty and improve household food security, incomes, and nutritional status among beef and dairy smallholder producers through increased production, productivity, and market linkages. Activities are confined to agro-ecological regions III, IV, and V focusing on low income and food insecure households with the potential to move from subsistence to small-scale commercial farmers. In addition, the program seeks to improve the capacity of its local partners to implement agricultural development programs. Commercialization of small-scale beef and dairy farmers on communal and non-contested land is being achieved by: • Raising efficiencies in beef and dairy production systems; • Facilitating access to inputs, technology, finance, and credit; • Linking producers to local, national, regional, and international buyers; • Training farmers to adopt good agricultural, business, and animal husbandry practices; • Training farmers to adopt good nutrition and hygiene practices; • Strengthening the capacity of the program’s local partners to implement agricultural development programs. The program is building demand for smallholder-produced beef and dairy products by focusing on quality, continuity of supply, and cost-competitiveness. The Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program also collaborates with the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Crop Development program and other donor programs to provide specialized technical support to produce nutritious crops that sustainably increase the availability of these foods among beneficiary households. Fintrac is implementing the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program in partnership with subcontractor ABS-TCM and other local private companies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the Division of Livestock Production and Development, the Department of Veterinary Services, and other government departments involved in the beef and dairy value chains. Local nongovernmental organizations and commercial companies work with the program as development partners, to co-fund purchases of essential inputs and new technologies for demonstration purposes on a cost-recovery basis. In summary, the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program is a market-driven program that works closely with small, medium, and large-scale buyers to raise demand and increase competition for smallholder-produced beef and dairy products. The program directly contributes to food availability and access by concurrently increasing production and raising incomes of rural households in selected areas.

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Figure 1: Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program Geographic Coverage as of September 2016

Hwange=1; Lupane=2; Nkayi=3; Gokwe South=4; =5; =6; Shurugwi =7; Chirumhanzu =8; Umzingwane=9; = 10

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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This is the first annual report for the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program funded by USAID/Zimbabwe under contract AID-613-C-15-00001 and implemented by Fintrac Inc. The report presents activity achievements, results on performance indicators, and anecdotal information from beneficiaries between June 2015 and September 2016 (Fiscal Year (FY) 2016). Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program is providing technical assistance to reduce poverty and increase food security among 3,000 beef and 2,000 dairy smallholder farmers in Natural Regions III, IV, and V. The program focuses on increasing production, productivity, and market linkages of beef and dairy farmers to improve their food security, incomes, and nutrition status. The program was launched amid challenges from the outbreak of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in most target areas and the poor state of rangelands due to the drought in the 2014/15 agricultural season. Consequently, the ensuing agricultural season of 2015/16, especially in the first two quarters of the program, performed poorly as conditions led all target areas to face severe food and water shortages as well as reported cattle deaths. Despite this context, the program achieved some notable results in the review period:  Establishment of offices (head office and three provincial offices in Lupane, Kwekwe, and Chipinge) and recruitment of all personnel.  Drawing up of work plans, M&E plans, EMMP plans, and review of the PERSUAP plans.  Establishment of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with MAMID and local authorities in Gokwe South, Kwekwe, Chirumhanzu, Gweru and Shurugwi (Midlands); Umzingwane (Matabeleland South); Chipinge (Manicaland); , Lupane, and Nkayi (Matabeleland North) to legitimize the program’s operations in these focus districts.  Completion of a baseline survey among households in the 10 districts where the program intended to implement its interventions. The results of the survey informed the designing and setting of program performance targets and technical areas for intervention.  Identification of high-potential and viable beef and dairy agribusiness hubs in targeted regions and mobilizing smallholder beef and dairy farmers in the respective focus areas to be beneficiaries of the program.  Development of short-, medium-, and long-term strategies for protecting smallholder farmers’ beef and dairy herds from the long-term effects of the El Niño-induced drought, while enhancing productivity and raising smallholder farmers’ earnings from livestock production. In particular, the program emphasized marketing of cattle off the rangeland; increasing the number of companies purchasing beef cattle from smallholders through market linkages; expanding the formal and informal marketing of milk and milk products; training and technical assistance on pen fattening and cattle supplementary feeding; intensifying forage production, harvesting, and conservation; introducing breeding models and trainings; providing technical assistance on good animal husbandry practices (GAHPs); and increasing the availability and disbursement of working capital to smallholders. Gender, nutrition, and environment themes were mainstreamed and integrated in all livestock technical activities.  Completion of baseline organizational capacity assessments for four milk collection centers and for LEAD, the organization implementing the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Crop Development program. These assessments identified capacity gaps of the local institutions. Afterward, the program worked with the respective organizations on work plans to address the identified gaps.

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 Completion of baseline studies to contextualize gender and youth issues among program beneficiaries, which led to the development of a Gender and Youth Strategy for guiding implementation of gender and youth interventions.  Development of a Nutrition and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) strategy to guide the implementation of nutrition and WASH interventions.  Initiation of two Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to identify potential partners to 1) spearhead sustainable milk marketing and 2) provide technical support for WASH and nutrition. The process will be completed in the first quarter of FY 2017.  Completion of two rounds of the Annual Household Survey, by the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program technicians, to collect data on program indicators among beneficiaries.  Development and implementation of breeding and health protocols specific to focus areas in partnership with the main subcontractor, ABS-TCM, in Chipinge, Gokwe South, Nkayi, and Lupane during the third quarter of FY 2016.  A total of 2,883 households (3,276 farmers) benefited from program interventions during the review period. Beef farmers constituted 78 percent of the total number of beneficiaries while 22 percent were dairy farmers. Female farmers accounted for 42 percent (1,091 beef and 301 dairy). The program surpassed its overall FY 2016 target of 1,250 beneficiary households by 131 percent.  A total of 2,691 farmers (43 percent women) received training and technical assistance on beef production and 999 farmers (37 percent women) received training and technical assistance on dairy related subjects from the program during the year.  The program trained 766 beneficiaries, 35 percent women, on the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE); safe use and disposal of pesticides; use of Pesticide Evaluation Report and Safe Use Action Plan (PERSUAP)-compliant chemicals; soil conservation and climate change.  A total of $1.02 million in both beef cattle and dairy sales was recorded for the year compared to a baseline level of $0.1 million. Beef cattle sales were $0.52 million compared to a baseline of $0.03 million. Dairy sales were $0.50 million compared to a baseline level of $0.07 million. Increase in sales was due to new lucrative markets; increase in production and productivity; and promoting and facilitating resumption of cattle sales in areas where markets were previously non-existent.  Three hundred and forty four farmers (25 percent women) participated in program assisted feedlots and sold 480 animals to abattoirs valued at $234,377 during the review period. In addition, 296 beneficiaries (23 percent women) sold 494 cattle, worth $192,404, direct from the rangeland in Chipinge, Chirumhanzu, and Shurugwi to abattoirs.  Average income for beef households was $323 compared to a baseline level of $237. For dairy, average household income was $1,208 compared to a baseline of $415.22. Good results for dairy households is due to improved productivity (yield per cow); low cost of production and improved access to profitable markets.  On average, farmers achieved gross margins of $28.63 and $170.27 per animal for beef and dairy respectively compared to baseline figures of $18.80 and $119.49 for beef and dairy respectively. The good results are in part due to Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program’s efforts in linking farmers to new and lucrative markets; providing training and technical assistance in good animal husbandry practices, good agricultural practices, good hygiene and nutrition practices; and facilitating access to credit. In addition margins were increased by incorporating low cost feed sources.

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 FY 2016 average milk yield per cow was 5.72 liters per day compared to baseline of 2.61 liters. The yield increase was mainly due to improved fodder flow planning and proper feeding and maintaining herd health.  A total of 3,031 farmers (40 percent women) under the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program applied improved technologies and management practices to their beef and dairy enterprises during the review period. Some of the technologies adopted were dehorning; castration; ear tagging animals for identification; fodder production; using natural existing feed sources such as acacia pods; urea treatment of stover; construction of proper cattle handling facilities; construction of simple fly traps; and washing hands and udders of cows before milking. Adoption rate across all beneficiaries was 92.5 percent. There was 100 percent adoption rate among dairy farmers with 90.6 percent for beef farmers. The high uptake was mainly because the program introduced technologies that were low or no-cost but effective in salvaging the farmers’ beef and dairy herds from the impending drought. In addition linkages to markets enabled farmers to place a value to their cattle.  Despite the drought conditions which have left cattle in many of the program focus areas with poor body condition scores, the program in collaboration with ABS-TCM managed to artificially inseminate 36 cows. In addition the program trained 176 beneficiaries on aspects of successful AI and 11 local inseminators to provide insemination services in preparation of the main breeding season which runs from December to March.  The percentage of beneficiary households that consistently consume at least five of the nine food groups was 26 percent compared to a baseline score of 7 percent. The average dietary diversity consumption score among women of reproductive age was 3.7 compared to a baseline score of 2.5. In all areas the program is encouraging farmers to set up nutrition gardens; production of small livestock and consumption of different locally available foods to help beneficiaries in diversifying their sources of dietary nutrients.  Twenty-four percent of beneficiaries are practicing four of six good hygiene behaviors compared to 13 percent at baseline. Although most program beneficiaries recognize the need to practice the six hygiene practices, many still fail to see the efficacy of their actions. The program uses awareness campaigns, trainings, demonstrations, technical visits and on-the-ground monitoring to reinforce behavior change. As a result, beneficiary farmers in focus areas are adopting improved hygienic practices and erecting hygienic structures such as toilets, fly traps, and hand-washing facilities.  The program assisted 207 beneficiary farmers (32 percent women) to access $60,597 in loans from microfinance institutions (MFIs). The loans were used for pen fattening cattle; erecting and improving paddocks; and buying breeding females.  The program provided capacity building support to LEAD Trust in areas of governance and leadership; operations and management systems; financial management and human resources. The program’s technical team also provided one-on-one assistance to the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Crop Development teams in gender, communications, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E).  LEAD and the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Crop Development staff received technical assistance on compliance issues related to the Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (EMMP), the Initial Environmental Examination (IEE), Safe Use Action Plan (SUAP) Tracker, and the PERSUAP. After 15 months of implementation, from June 2015 to September 2016, 22 percent of the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program’s budget has been utilized, no financial difficulties were experienced.

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FIGURE 2:

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2. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

The Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program seeks to reduce poverty and increase food security, hygiene, and nutrition status among 3,000 beef and 2,000 dairy smallholder farmers in Natural Regions III, IV, and V. The program focuses on increasing production, productivity, and market linkages of beef and dairy farmers to improve their food security, incomes, hygiene, and nutrition status. The program will accomplish this goal through the achievement of three intermediate results: 1. Increased agricultural production and productivity of targeted beef and dairy smallholder farmers through greater market linkages; access to appropriate credit and finance; investment; adoption of GAHPs and technologies. 2. Improved hygiene and nutrition-related behaviors through training on good household nutrition, hygiene, and sanitation practices, and exclusive breastfeeding. 3. Increased capacity of local organizations to implement USAID and agricultural development programs through transferring skills; sharing best practices; and attracting new investments in private sector organizations. These efforts will entail partnering with the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Crop Development program. The Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program concentrates on profitable beef and dairy production and income generation through appropriate and sustainable interventions1 that improve the livelihoods of vulnerable livestock owners. These activities will move rural families from subsistence to commercial farming and increase their net worth through investment in cattle and other on-farm productivity-enhancing assets. Figure 3 summarizes the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program’s implementation approach. Interventions will sustainably raise production, productivity, and incomes from smallholder beef and dairy systems; improve hygiene practices and behaviors; increase the availability and utilization of nutritious foods; expand market access and availability of credit and finance across value chains; add value to beef and dairy products; and boost agricultural investment as well as adoption of best organizational practices by local implementers. To maximize outreach and ensure sustainability, the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program is partnering with commercial companies, NGOs, and relevant government departments. Collaboration with the government has enabled easy entry into target areas and led to sharing of technical information and training platforms; and this partnership will lead to a sustainable program exit. Developing commercial partnerships through a national network of agribusinesses strengthens farmers’ access to markets with fair prices; provides working capital and finance at realistic rates; supplies inputs efficiently; and provides extension and training to growers as an embedded cost. Partnerships focus on establishing service provision options at market rates. In its first year, the program has been engaged in: • Identifying high-potential and viable beef and dairy agribusiness hubs in targeted regions. • Ensuring competitiveness of smallholder beef and dairy sectors by improving productivity and efficiency.

1 Interventions such as herd rationalization combined with linkages to abattoirs and auction sales; use of low cost feed sources; production of fodder plans and implementing them; linkages with sources of finance and input suppliers

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• Facilitating and fostering linkages with formal and informal buyers to increase demand for smallholder beef and dairy products. Activities also sought to improve quality, increase quantity, and assure reliability of supply and logistics. • Creating more sustainable markets and harnessing new private investment in smallholder beef and dairy production by supporting innovative business models in formal and informal sectors. • Linking market players to smallholder livestock farmers in identified agribusiness hubs through creating commercial partnerships with input suppliers; expanding the availability of inputs for beef and dairy farmers; and introducing low- to no-cost interventions that improve productivity, animal health, and nutrition. • Increasing access to finance for all value chain actors to facilitate investment. • Improving overall household health and nutrition through improved dietary diversity (e.g. by incorporating livestock products) and trainings on household nutrition and proper sanitation. • Building the capacity of local businesses, producer groups, and other community institutions in partnership with the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Crop Development program to ensure adherence to USAID operational standards. • Providing demand-driven training and technical assistance to address site-specific challenges. • Identifying opportunities for beneficiaries to generate high returns with minimal resources.

Figure 3: Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Results Framework Summary

GOAL: SUSTAINABLY REDUCE POVERTY AND IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION FOR RURAL HOUSEHOLDS IN ZIMBABWE

Increased organizational capacity of Increased agricultural production, Improved nutrition and hygiene local implementing organizations productivity, and incomes practices and behaviors

Adoption of best Adoption of GAPs and Access to finance, Improved hygiene Access to and utilization of organizational practices GAHPs credit, and behaviors nutritious foods and investment exclusive breastfeeding

Partnerships Standards BDS Environment Market linkages Gender

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3. ACTIVITIES

Program activities included increasing access to credit for livestock farmers embarking on pen fattening; drought mitigation; training and technical assistance on production and productivity; marketing assistance; capacity building the program’s local implementing partners; and WASH and nutrition training. The sections below describe Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development activities in seven categories of results measured against one gender specific, 11 Feed the Future, and 16 custom indicators. • Beneficiaries: Number, gender balance, geographical spread, and types of support received. • Sales: Amount of new money earned by beneficiaries, measured by sales of all agricultural products. • Gross margin and net income: Profitability and net earnings from beef and dairy activities. • Productivity: Direct interventions resulting in increased production and net returns from beef and dairy production. • Nutrition and hygiene: Interventions targeted for behavior change in hygiene, nutrition, and WASH activities. • Business development and market access: Interventions targeted at developing the organizational capacity of farmer groups; improving access to finance and credit; developing business skills among beneficiary farmers and collaborating partners; and strengthening market linkages and promoting farmer led extension systems. • Organizational capacity development: Support to local partners working with the program to enhance their effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability in implementing development programs. An explanation of the program’s environment and gender activities follows separately in their respective sections. 3.1 BENEFICIARIES

EG. 3-1 Number of households benefiting directly from USG assistance under FTF The annual target for the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock development program for FY2016 was to benefit 1,250 households through the provision of a wide range of interventions including training in GAHPs, natural resource management, business skills, hygiene and nutrition; direct technical assistance to introduce new technologies, good hygiene, nutrition and WASH practices; creation of new linkages with both input and output markets for beef and dairy; and linkages with credit and financial suppliers. A total of 2,883 households (3,276 farmers) benefited from program interventions during the review period (June 2015 – September 2016) (Table 3.1.1.1). Table 3.1.1.1: Geographic Distribution of Feed The Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program Beneficiary Households in FY 2016 Cumulative Value Chain District Natural Region Female Male Total Chipinge V 309 505 814 Chirumhanzu III 41 68 109 Gokwe South III 83 80 163 Beef Gweru III, IV 58 16 74 Hwange IV, V 51 49 100 Kwekwe III 62 109 171

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Table 3.1.1.1: Geographic Distribution of Feed The Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program Beneficiary Households in FY 2016 Cumulative Value Chain District Natural Region Female Male Total Lupane IV 67 99 166 Nkayi IV 130 134 264 Shurugwi III 126 175 301 Umzingwane IV 30 43 73 Sub-total 957 1,278 2,235 Chipinge V 6 16 22 Chirumhanzu III 87 96 183 Gokwe South III 106 162 268 Communal Gweru III 4 2 6 Dairy Kwekwe III - 3 3 Shurugwi III 15 29 44 Umzingwane IV 22 23 45 Sub-total 240 331 571 Chipinge V 2 - 2 Chirumhanzu III 8 16 24 Gokwe South III 9 24 33 SSC Dairy Nkayi IV 1 1 2 Shurugwi III 2 4 6 Umzingwane IV 4 6 10 Sub-total 26 51 77 Grand Total 1,223 1,660 2,883 Source: CIRIS

Beef farmers constituted 78 percent of the total number of beneficiaries while 22 percent were dairy farmers. Out of the total dairy farmers, 12 percent were small-scale commercial (SSC). Female farmers accounted for 42 percent (1,091 beef and 301 dairy women farmers), against an end of program target of at least 50 percent2. had the highest number of beneficiaries, most of whom were beef farmers. This is attributed to the relevant drought mitigating interventions the program introduced to salvage farmer herds from poverty deaths3 (Annex 1; page A1 – Seconds from disaster). The program has already surpassed its overall FY 2016 target of 1,250 beneficiary households by 131 percent (Table 3.1.1.2). The program has been very active in fostering viable markets for beef farmers, who prior to program interventions received meager income returns for their cattle. Table 3.1.1.2: Beneficiary Households Variance Value Chain FY 2016 Target Achievement to Date Variance Beef 750 2,235 198% Dairy 500 648 30% Total 1,250 2,883 131% Source: CIRIS

2 Livestock production has traditionally been a male domain in Zimbabwe. The program through its gender strategy is working to increase female involvement in livestock production through increased access to technical information and technology, ownership, participation in the market, increased access to credit, and involvement in leadership roles within livestock interventions 3 In Chipinge, the prevailing drought from 2014/15 season was already causing cattle deaths in early September (in wards 21, 22, 24, and 26) and additionally had a negative impact on marketing. FTFZ-LD, working with LPD, village heads, and livestock development committees, mobilized farmers to pull resources together to access survival meal from stock feed suppliers in the valley (National Foods and Sabie Meats) to supplementary feed their animals. Besides survival meal, other supplementary feeds mobilized for wards 21, 22 and 24 included cotton seed cake available from Checheche, sugar cane tops from Chisumbanje, and molasses and maize stover from nearby irrigation schemes. These interventions salvaged about 1,200 head of cattle from starvation.

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During the period under review, 3,276 farmers meeting the beneficiary selection criteria4 attended training sessions and/or received one-on-one technical assistance from program personnel. A total of 3,247 farmers were linked to buyers. (Table 3.1.1.3) Table 3.1.1.3: Program Interventions in FY 2016 Beef Farmers Dairy Farmers Combined Unique Farmers Activities Females Males Total Females Males Total Females Males Total Trainings and 1,091 1,451 2,542 301 433 734 1,392 1,884 3,276 TA5 Farmers 62 129 191 5 11 16 67 140 207 receiving credit Farmers linked 821 2,351 3,172 19 56 75 840 2,407 3,247 to buyers

Source: CIRIS and the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program

LD15 Estimated number and percentage of FTF beneficiaries holding 5 hectares or less of arable land or equivalent units of livestock (smallholders) During the first year of program implementation, at least 90 percent of program beneficiaries had a maximum of 10 cattle (for beef) and a maximum of two milking cows (for dairy). As beneficiaries participate in the program, herd sizes are expected to increase beyond 10 cattle and two milking cows for beef and dairy farmers, respectively. A significant decline in the proportion is another measure of positive program impact. Results from the annual household survey indicate that 83 percent of the households were reporting to be smallholders compared to 91 percent at the baseline. The drop in the number of smallholder beneficiaries with herd size of a maximum of 10 is attributed to the program’s entry interventions of cattle pen fattening, herd rationalization, and cattle direct sales off the rangeland among other reasons. All three interventions were aimed at generating incomes for reinvesting in livestock production activities. Across all program focus areas, smallholder farmers were encouraged to rationalize their herds through a deliberate selling-off of mature male animals (steers, oxen, and bulls) and replace these with breeding female animals (cows and heifers). More female animals in the herd will set the right foundation for cattle breeding to stimulate organic growth in herd sizes. Farmers were also encouraged to sell off their old cows, bulls, and old oxen as direct sales from the rangeland just after the summer season to take advantage of the good body conditions from the summer grazing. Pen fattening of mature oxen, which took place in the second quarter of FY 2016 was planned to take advantage of the prime beef prices as from October – December/early January.

3.2 INCREMENTAL SALES

EG.3.2-19 Value of smallholder incremental sales generated with USG assistance A total of $1.02 million in both beef and dairy cattle sales was recorded for the year compared to a baseline level of $0.1 million. Beef cattle sales were $0.52 million compared to a baseline of $0.03 million. Dairy sales were $0.50 million compared to a baseline of $0.07 million (Table 3.2.1). Table 3.2.1 Value of Incremental Sales by Program Beneficiaries in FY 2016 Baseline FY 2016 % Change in Product Number of Volume of Value of Average Number of Volume Value of Average Value of

4 Criteria for smallholder beef farmers is for the farmer to have a total herd size of 10 or less cattle on initial contact with the program. For smallholder dairy farmers the farmer should be milking no more than two cows on initial contact wherewith the farmer is deemed a small-scale commercial farmer, 75 % of income is deemed to be from agricultural activities. Yearly income of $500 for smallholder farmers and $1,500 for SSC dairy farmers. 5 About 1,091 farmers received training and technical assistance in both beef and dairy subjects

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Households sales sales Sales/ Households of sales sales Sales/ Sales/ Household Household Household Beef Cattle 270 86 $30,820 $114.15 2,235 1,384 $515,928 $230.84 102% Dairy 113 130,805 $73,588 $651.22 648 883,144 $504,737 $778.92 20% Total 383 $104,408 $272.60 2,883 $1,020,665 $354.03 30%

Source: Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program The exceptional results in sales increase are mainly attributable to the program Text Box 3.2.1: Beef-dairy farming to boost exploring and linking farmers with new milk production for Sengwa dairy group alternative marketing options for their beef animals and raw milk, in most The Sengwa dairy group is comprised of 87 farmers (32 instances paying higher prices and higher females and 55 males) who are within 5-20 kilometers of returns. the Gokwe MCC. Members learned the potential for milking their beef cows, and since engagement with the Specific interventions contributing to these program in Q2 the group is milking on average 19 beef increased sales included: cows with an average yield of two liters per cow per day. Marketing is still in its infancy as most farmers use the milk • Rolling out the beef-dairy concept6 for home consumption; however, a few are selling milk in all targeted dairy areas of locally as fresh and sour milk. The program is training Gokwe South, Chirumhanzu, farmers on recordkeeping and budgeting and to farm as a Shurugwi, and Umzingwane. family business. These farmers will be linked to more Production increased from the sustainable markets, Gokwe MCC, and/or Dendairy as expanded milking herd while their volumes increase; moreover, ABS-TCM will aid the productivity increased from program to utilize AI to transform these farmers’ herds into quality and viable dairy herds. Experienced dairy adoption of GAHPs promoted by farmers who are already seasoned members of the Gokwe the program (see Text Box 3.2.1). MCC have been seconded to the group to provide • Capacity building the MCCs in mentorship. areas of budgeting, preparation of records of accounts, cash flow analysis, and governance helped to improve operations. This in turn helped restore farmer confidence to deliver milk to the MCCs (see Annex 5 Table 3.2.1.1). • Expanding the marketing of milk to formal and informal markets. The program developed a milk production and sales tracker to capture all farm-gate sales of milk. Based on beneficiaries who have participated in this recordkeeping, a total of 22,435 liters worth $10,876 were sold at farm gate and through informal markets by farmers in Shurugwi, Chirumhanzu, and Gokwe South. • Growing the producer base for Gokwe Dairy Co-operative Society to increase total volumes delivered to the MCC, hence increasing the viability of the MCC (see Text Box 3.2.1). • Group marketing training, GAHPs training, and technical assistance provided by the program resulted in an improvement in milk productivity, and beef and milk sales to both formal and informal markets. • Marketing cattle directly to meat processors off the rangeland in Chirumhanzu, Chipinge, and Shurugwi (Table 3.2.2.1- Annex 5). A total of 296 beneficiaries (64 women and 232 men) sold 494 cattle worth $192,404 to abattoirs in Chiredzi, , Kwekwe, and during the review period. February recorded a high level of sales as a result of panic selling because at that time rainfall levels were minimal and the rangeland had severely deteriorated. Therefore, farmers embarked on culling and destocking their herds to avoid losses from the ongoing drought.

6 Encouraging milk production from beef herds not only meets household nutritional needs, but also provide a potential source of income as surpluses are sold initially into the local market and eventually into formal markets. The approach provides a “soft landing” for aspiring dairy farmers as the capital outlay in terms of animals is minimal. GAHPs in handling beef animals include feeding for milk production, disease control, and hygiene.

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• Pen fattening: The program assisted smallholder beef farmers in Chirumhanzu, Chipinge, Gokwe South, Shurugwi, Umzingwane, Nkayi, Lupane, and Kwekwe districts with training and technical assistance in pen fattening. Pen fattening activities were undertaken to coincide with favorable pricing regimes in the market as off-peak prices tend to narrow the gross margin. The target marketing period for pen-fed cattle is mid-December when beef prices are expected to be at peak because of demand during the festive season versus a low supply of good quality animals after the dry season (September-early December). Beef prices during this period peaked at $4.20 per kilogram for super grade in December 2015. Program-supervised feedlots sold 480 pen-fattened animals valued at $234,377 to formal buyers (see Annex 5 Table 3.2.2.2). • Promoting and facilitating resumption of cattle auctions in Lupane and Nkayi through private auctioneers and the rural district councils (see Text Box 3.2.2). The auctions have injected more than $1.2 million into the two districts during the review period (see Annex 5 Table 3.2.2.3 & Table 3.2.2.4) 3.3 GROSS MARGIN AND NET INCOME

EG.3-6, 7, 8 Farmers gross margin per animal obtained with USG assistance Gross margin takes into account in its calculation the volume of production, average price, cost of production, and unit of production. Actual gross margins vary widely depending on a number of factors, ranging from rainfall patterns to the accessibility of inputs, technical assistance, and markets. Gross margin data points for beef and dairy are shown in Table 3.3.1. Table 3.3.1: Estimated Gross Margins for Beef and Dairy Animals Among Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Farmers During FY 2016 Value of Yield Cost of GM/per Product Unit Price Production/ Target /animal Production/Animal Animal Animal Beef 0.12 $372.66 $44.89 $16.26 $28.63 $27 Dairy 5.72 $0.57 $687.94 $517.67 $170.27 $125 Source: Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program

On average, farmers achieved gross margins of $28.63 and $170.27 per animal for beef and dairy respectively. Sample data collected indicate that this was a generally good year compared to baseline figures of $18.80 and $119.49 for beef and dairy respectively. An improvement in the gross margin is a proxy to an increase in household net income. The good results are in part due to Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program’s efforts in linking farmers to new markets;7 facilitating access to credit; and showcasing and providing training and technical assistance in GAHPs.8 LD 5 Yield per dairy cow FY 2016 average milk yield per cow was 5.72 liters per day compared to baseline of 2.61 liters. The increase in productivity per cow means a high proportion of milk set aside for home consumption and increased marketable surplus which both lead to increased access to nutritious foods and income. The yield increase was mainly due to proper feeding and improved fodder flow planning. In addition margins were increased by incorporating low cost feed sources. Low-cost technologies in feed formulation in the dairy hubs were promoted through the use of fodder trees such as acacia, Dichrostachys, and Zebrawood. For example, two beneficiaries in Gokwe reported a 27 percent increase in milk

7 For beef farmers the program facilitated the resumption of cattle sales through private auctions, rural district council auctions, and direct marketing to processors, giving the farmer an alternative to the middlemen. Furthermore value addition through group marketing and pen fattening helped increase returns. For dairy farmers some MCCs were linked to large processors to sell raw milk instead of processing. 8 The use of low to no cost fodder; fodder flow planning; maintaining herd health; and proper feeding contributed to increase in average milk yields.

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production and 32 percent reduction in feed cost from including acacia pods in the ration9 (See Annex 1 page A5 – Non-conventional fodder unlocks dairy potential). Text Box 3.2.2: Livestock stakeholder forum LD 1 Average household agriculture creates smallholder marketing opportunity income The Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program Agricultural income includes the hosted a one-day livestock indaba (discussion forum) in Lupane, market value of all crops and livestock Matabeleland North with 48 relevant stakeholders who included produced by any beneficiary input suppliers (Veterinary Distributors, National Foods, and household, whether it is consumed or Agricura); abattoirs and meat processors (Grills Abattoirs, Heads sold. Household agricultural income is and Hooves, butcheries); auctioneers (CC Sales); members of the difference between the total value farmers unions; government stakeholders (DLPD, DVS); Lupane of household production of the State University-Animal Science Department representatives; agricultural products (crop, milk, eggs, representatives from microfinance institutions (Quest Financial meat, and live animals) and the cost of Services and Inclusive Financial Services); the chief executive of the RDC; councilors from Kusile RDC; the District producing those items. Significant Administrator; local members of parliament; farmers; and other increase in smallholder income is the NGO staff operating in the district. The indaba provided a ultimate goal of the program. Average platform for players in the livestock value chain to interact and income for beef households this year map a marketing plan for to regain the farmers’ was $323 compared to the baseline of confidence and stimulate participation in formal sales. $237. For dairy, average household The indaba revealed that in 2015 council auctions only accounted income was $1,208 compared to the for the sale of 238 animals, while 4,605 were sold through baseline of $415.22. Good results for informal channels. Seeing opportunity in the Lupane district dairy households are due to improved livestock markets, CC Sales expressed an interest in establishing productivity (yield per cow); low cost a sales point, and Kusile RDC responded by allocating them sale of production; and improved access to pens in a clean zone. profitable markets. CC Sales conducted its inaugural sale at Mloyeni sale pens in 3.3 PRODUCTIVITY Ward 28 in March 2016. The sale attracted buyers including Mvutcha Abattoirs, Mbokodo Abattoirs, middlemen, and local The program’s technical team, main butcheries. From 117 yarded animals, 100 were sold at an subcontractor ABS-TCM, and average price of $427, with the highest sold animal netting $700. The average price for commercial grade and steers was $1.15 collaborating partner extension per kilogram while the manufacturing grade sold for an average workers carried out productivity of $0.98 per kilogram. The auction injected $42,700 into Lupane enhancing activities centered on district. “We are very happy with the success of this sale,” said training and technical assistance to all the chief executive officer of Kusile RDC, Christopher Chuma. beneficiaries to adopt drought CC Sales pays a 1.5 percent tax to the RDC. mitigation strategies aimed at Monthly sales have been held since the March inception sale. A minimizing cattle deaths; improving total of 523 farmers have sold 661 beef animals worth $288,327 reproductive efficiency and general through this auction up to the end of September 2016. The cattle performance; supplementary success of this arrangement has prompted another auction sale feeding; improved marketing; facilitated to be opened at Tshongokwe in the same district. This auction direct lending from MFIs; and GAHPs will cater for cattle from the red zone. related to herd health, animal The program has initiated discussions for similar arrangements in nutrition, herd rationalization, and once the FMD quarantine is lifted. breeding. Other topics covered

9 Two Gokwe South farmers (Esau Hlomayi and Lucy Gwatinyanya) have stockpiled a total of 10 tons of Dichrostachys (Mupangara), and acacia (majekenje) pods. The program, in cooperation with the two farmers, has done feeding trials in which dairy meal was substituted with one part milled acacia pods to two parts yellow maize. The farmers have reported an average 27 percent increase in milk production and 32 percent reduction in feed cost.

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included fodder production, best fodder harvesting practices, and conservation of forage from the established fodder demonstration plots and the rangelands. Increases in productivity are monitored by two FTF indicators, summarized below. In addition, sections summarizing interventions undertaken to increase productivity among beef and dairy beneficiaries follow on under Sections 3.3.1; 3.3.2; and 3.3.3. EG.3.2-1 Number of individuals who have received USG-supported short term agricultural sector productivity or food security training During the year, 3,276 smallholder livestock farmers received short term, specialized training and technical assistance on various livestock production related topics which included heifer procurement; pen fattening; beef and dairy marketing; cattle and meat grading; urea treatment of stover; artificial insemination; and feed formulation. Specific topics were covered under the broad areas of GAHPs; fodder production; animal health; supplementary feeding; animal breeding; quality control; drought mitigation strategies; and animal handling facilities. A total of 2,691 farmers (43 percent women) received training and technical assistance on beef production from the program during the year (Table 3.3.1.1). Thirty-four percent of the beef trainees were from Chipinge district. Table 3.3.1.1: Beef Trainings in Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Areas in FY 2016 District Female Male Total % Female Chipinge 350 561 911 38% Chirumhanzu 93 140 233 40% Gokwe South 121 113 234 52% Gweru 70 21 91 77% Hwange 58 56 114 51% Kwekwe 71 127 198 36% Lupane 80 114 194 41% Nkayi 146 156 302 48% Shurugwi 131 182 313 42% Umzingwane 46 55 101 46% Grand Total 1,166 1,525 2,691 43% Source: CIRIS Practical and theoretical trainings on appropriate GAHPs, informed by the beef production calendar were conducted in all program areas. Table 3.3.1.2 breaks down the number of farmers who received training and technical assistance on different beef topics. The most attended topic was animal husbandry practices (1,626 farmers), and included training on diverse subjects such as branding and/or ear tagging for identification, dehorning, dipping, dosing, castration, and herd composition considerations, body condition scoring, calf rearing, fodder conservation, feeding for survival, and record keeping. Other popular topics were on marketing and pen fattening. Despite the adversity of the 2015/2016 agricultural season, a total of 706 farmers received training on fodder production. Table 3.3.1.2: Beef trainings by subject in FY 2016 Training Subject Female Male Total % Females Fodder Production 347 359 706 49% Pen Fattening 465 553 1,018 46% Marketing 459 714 1,173 39% Good Animal Husbandry Practices 708 918 1,626 44% Cattle and Meat Grading 206 273 479 43% Animal Health 301 403 704 43% Animal Breeding 350 417 767 46%

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Table 3.3.1.2: Beef trainings by subject in FY 2016 Training Subject Female Male Total % Females Supplementary Feeding 57 96 153 37% Drought Mitigation Strategies 123 147 270 46% Urea Treatment of Stover 77 75 152 51% Artificial Insemination 52 124 176 30% Feed Formulation 11 23 34 32% Feedlot Post Mortem 3 5 8 38% Handling Facilities 18 25 43 42% Source: CIRIS A total of 999 farmers (632 males and 367 females) received training and technical assistance on dairy related subjects from the program during the year (Table 3.3.2.1). Table 3.3.2.1: Dairy training in Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program Areas, FY 2016 District Female Male Total % Female Chipinge 22 78 100 22% Chirumhanzu 106 153 259 41% Gokwe South 120 206 326 37% Kwekwe 12 14 26 46% Lupane 2 15 17 12% Nkayi 10 3 13 77% Shurugwi 55 111 166 33% Umzingwane 40 52 92 43% Grand Total 367 632 999 37%

The training and technical assistance aimed at increasing milk yields from the baseline figure of 2.61 liters per cow per day to above 12 liters; normalize the lactation periods to around 300 days; reduce the calving intervals to 12-13 months; and improve the quality of milk to enable selling into formal markets. Dairy trainings and technical assistance for the year were mainly focused on fodder flow planning with a strong component of promoting production of highly nutritious and locally available fodder crops, fodder preservation, and conservation (Table 3.3.2.2). Fodder production provides an entry into the dairy production enterprise. In addition proper feeding of dairy animals is a quick win on increasing production and productivity. Of note is the number of farmers who attended milk quality control trainings (182), resulting in improved quality of milk delivered. Table 3.3.2.2 Dairy Training by Subject, FY 2016 Training Subject Female Male Total % Female Fodder Production 167 312 479 35% Marketing 52 107 159 33% Husbandry Practices 187 287 474 39% Animal Health 58 140 198 29% Quality Control 50 132 182 27% Drought Mitigation 6 29 35 17% Strategies Urea Treatment of 6 5 11 55% Stover Artificial Insemination 84 152 236 36% Feed Formulation 16 48 64 25% Heifer Procurement 3 - 3 100% Handling Facilities 3 14 17 18%

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EG.3.2-17 Number of farmers and others who have applied improved technologies or management practices as a result of USG assistance Based on the end-of-year survey results, a total of 3,031 farmers under the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program had applied improved technologies and management practices to their beef and dairy enterprises. Survey results show an adoption rate of 92.5 percent. There was 100 percent adoption rate by both small-scale commercial dairy and communal dairy farmers. For communal beef farmers, the adoption rate was at 90.6 percent. Average milk yields increased significantly from 2.61 liters per cow per day at baseline to 5.72 liters (119 percent increase). The high uptake rates of good agricultural practices (GAPs) and GAHPs were around the centers of excellence10 where demonstrations were established and managed in conjunction with lead farmers in order to promote these technologies. Demonstrations allowed for first-hand and hands on learning and improved uptake of GAPs and GAHPs. The use of lead farmer herds and plots as demonstration sites (centers of excellence) that are well dispersed within communities also increases uptake within the vicinity of each lead farmer. The centers of excellence also provided a platform for agribusinesses (service providers, input suppliers, financiers, and buyers) to meet with farmers. The high uptake was mainly because the program introduced technologies that were low or no-cost but effective in salvaging the farmers’ beef and dairy herds from the impending drought. In addition, linkages to markets were introduced, which now placed a value to their cattle. Forty percent of adopters of technologies were women, yet they make up 42 percent of the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program beneficiaries. Some of the demonstrated and adopted technologies are described in detail under sections 3.3.1, 3.3.2, and 3.3.3 below which summarize the interventions undertaken to increase productivity in the beef and dairy sectors during the year. 3.3.1 Beef

10 A center of excellence is a program demonstration site where a number of practices to enhance livestock productivity, genetic herd improvements, and nutrition and WASH are exhibited with full participation of the hosting farmer and a minimum of 10 other beneficiaries who participate in learning on a regular basis. The hosting farmer contributes his herd, time, and some material resources (such as inputs) for hosting the center.

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All photos by Fintrac Left: Windmill sales rep explains the use of Mabiko, a urea treatment product that can be used in lieu of straight urea, during a demonstration at Zezai village, Chirumhanzu district.

Right: Urea treatment demonstration in progress. Text Box 3.3.1: Urea treatment of stover as a low-cost drought mitigation strategy Low-cost maintenance feeding. The Following a poor rainfall season, all program areas will program promoted low-cost molasses likely see a greater supplementary feed deficit during the based maintenance rations in all program lean season. To help farmers prepare for this scenario, areas using tree pods, leaves, grass, crop the program introduced urea-treated stover to improve residues, and cacti. In Chipinge, cacti- and utilization of poor quality forages available in this period. molasses-based feed rations were In Nkayi, Matabeleland North a practical demonstration introduced at centers of excellence. The treated 495 kilograms during the month of June 2016, program is promoting molasses as it is one and this event was attended by 17 farmers (53 percent of the readily-available cheap sources of women) in Ward 27. The treated stover was used as energy and it improves the palatability and supplementary feed. The host farmer fed six cattle for a month at a rate of three kilograms per animal per day. digestibility of other feeds. The program linked 111 farmers (39 percent women) In Hwange district a practical demonstration of urea with Hippo Valley Sugar Processing Plant in treatment of stover was attended by 23 farmers at Chiredzi from which the farmers procured Nemananga in Ward 4. A pit measuring three meters by a total of 26.4 tons of molasses. three meters by one meter was dug by the feedlot group who also pooled together millet stover weighing 900 The use of cacti in feeds was also promoted kilograms. The farmers bought a bag of urea fertilizer as in all program areas. Feed rations with well as 30 meters of polythene plastic for a total of $61 locally-available spiny varieties were for the demonstration. Among the participants were produced and fed to cattle in Chipinge. LPD officers from Wards 13 and 20 who came to learn However, the spineless variety is typically the technique. The urea treatment pit was opened a month later on the 28th of June and a feeding promoted as it is easier to handle. Lead demonstration was held to allay fears that animals would farmers in Chipinge, Nkayi, and Lupane be poisoned. The treated stover was enough to feed four have already planted spineless cacti at their animals for 75 days at 3 kilograms per animal per day. homesteads for propagation by surrounding farmers. In Chipinge, Manicaland, the chairperson of the Kumboedza dairy association, Philip Msipa, hosted a Crop residues, especially from cereals, are demonstration for its nine members to treat 687 usually abundant to households soon after kilograms of maize stover. Msipa spent $31 in total for harvest. Unfortunately, they are often poor the demonstration, whereas the same amount of in nutrients and have limited palatability. commercial feed would have cost him $206. He is Urea treatment of crop residues increases expecting to feed his four cattle for the next 57 days at three kilograms per animal per day. “I lost two cattle due crude protein content and improves to drought in 2015, but this year I am not expecting any availability of carbohydrates and palatability. livestock deaths as I am getting drought mitigation strategies from the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program,” Msipa said. Prepared by Fintrac Inc. 16 Urea treatment improves the nutrition and palatability of crop stover. Farmers were further advised to reduce labor costs by working in groups to treat their own feed.

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Urea treatment demonstrations at centers of excellence were carried out in all program areas (see Text Box 3.3.1). The majority of demonstrations were carried out in the last quarter of the year in view of the need for supplementary feeding of livestock due to the decline in quantity and quality of grazing from the rangeland. The program encouraged collection and storage of as much crop residue as possible Text Box 3.3.2: Farmers welcome acacia in all program areas to prepare for the lean species pods as supplementary feed season. In Chipinge, farmers were encouraged to take advantage of the relative Acacia species pods are available in most program focus abundance of crop residues available from areas. In Kwekwe, Midlands 124 beef farmers are collecting acacia pods to supplement their animals when irrigation schemes at Taona, Mutema, they commence pen fattening. Substituting 30 percent of Musikavanhu A and B, Chibuwe, and pen fattening meal with acacia pods can reduce feed Chinyamukwakwa. In addition, the program costs. This diet will be used for supplementary feeding at linked 152 farmers from Wards 4 and 16 to a feeding rate of five kilograms per animal per day. Each Agricultural and Rural Development feedlot farmer is targeting to gather at least 450 Authority (ARDA) Rating Middle Sabi to kilograms of pods to reduce their feed bill by 60 percent. collect sugarcane residues that will be mixed To date, the program has trained 64 beneficiaries on feed with molasses and fed to cattle during the formulation to enable them to produce cattle diets from lean period. The farmers collected a total of acacia pods and other local materials. 84 tons of cane resides, which would have been trashed by ARDA, from June to September 2016 only paying for transport at an average of $2.50 per 150 kilograms. Farmers in Ward 26 of Chipinge, worst affected by the drought, who experienced massive cattle losses before the program inception were linked to Macdom Chisumbanje for the collection of panicum grass. The farmers collected an estimated 60 tons of grass over the same period and are mixing it with molasses to increase the feed energy levels and palatability. Stockpiling of pods from acacia, Dichrostachys, and Zebrawood trees was also promoted in all program areas. The pods have high crude protein content and offer a cheap protein supplement for pen fattening, milk production, and general body maintenance (see Text Box 3.3.2). Farmers further observed that cattle consume tree leaves from several different tree types when molasses was added and the gathering of tree leaves is now also being promoted. In response to this development, the program introduced Browse Plus, which is a tannin inhibitor that destabilizes tannins and other anti-nutritional factors in the rumen, allowing cattle to effectively utilize tree leaves. The program is working on this inventory and samples have been sent for feed analysis to guide in feed formulation. Pen fattening/feedlot technology. Pen fattening is promoted by the program as a means of destocking to reduce pressure on the rangeland, adding considerable value to cattle that are emaciated and thus unattractive to commercial buyers, as well as a means of rationalizing the herd composition by providing a lucrative market for unproductive animals. Traditionally pen fattening commences in July when pasture conditions start deteriorating and beef prices justify the practice. Feedlot activities tailed off in January 2016 as prices dropped soon after the festive season, making pen fattening unviable. Since then, prices have remained low as a result of the depressed economy and the ongoing cash crisis. Prices have started to recover since late September 2016 in anticipation of extra demand during the festive season. New farmers have registered to join the pen fattening exercise and farmers in all areas have been constructing new feedlot pens and rehabilitating old ones in anticipation of prices firming enough to make it viable.

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Beef breeding. The program has urged farmers to manage breeding through adoption of AI, selection of quality bulls, and selling off unproductive animals. Farmers are being encouraged to use part of the sales proceeds to invest in AI, and to purchase quality breeding females and bulls. The program assisted farmers to dispose of their unproductive animals through pen feeding, auctions, and direct sales to abattoirs. The success of any breeding system is dependent on cow fertility; semen quality or bull fertility (breeding soundness); inseminator or bull efficiency; and heat detection efficiency. During the review period, the program working together with ABS-TCM developed and reviewed several breeding protocols to come up with those that maximize these four success factors. In developing the protocols, cognizance was taken of the costs and management strategies required to reach the desired pregnancy rates. The beef breeding protocol aims to increase calving rate to more than 70 percent and produce fast-growing calves that attain body weights suitable for reproduction or sale at relatively young ages (under 30 months). While there are several strategies for implementing breed improvement, AI remains the spearhead and flagship of the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program. After trying several AI protocols the program finally settled for the CIDR- Cidirol Estrumate Fixed Time AI Protocol. The protocol is extremely reliable; it mitigates the main problem farmers have of detecting heat (which usually occurs at night); and allows technicians to predict exactly when the animal will come on heat. Thus, logistics of providing the service become manageable and cost effective. The current climatic conditions have left cattle in many of the program focus areas with body condition scores of below 3. ABS-TCM came Photo by Fintrac on board when the breeding season was tailing An AI technician Cameroon Moyo inseminates cattle in off, and most of the cows had lost body Nkayi, Matabeleland North condition hence unfit for insemination. Despite this, the program managed to inseminate 36 cows across its focus areas (Table 3.3.1). Table 3.3.1: Summary of AI activities across Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program districts in FY 2016 Number of Cows Number of Number of District Ward/Area for AI Cattle Heat Cattle Comment Presented Suitable Synchronized Inseminated Across districts, full- scale insemination will begin next Ward 3 – Manesa; Ward quarter during the 16 – Betura; Ward 20 – natural breeding Chipinge Masimbe; Ward 22 – 10 8 6 5 season, December- Manzvire; & Ward 26 – March; Red Brahman Matikwa semen used; awaiting pregnancy diagnosis (PD) end of November

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Table 3.3.1: Summary of AI activities across Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program districts in FY 2016 Number of Cows Number of Number of District Ward/Area for AI Cattle Heat Cattle Comment Presented Suitable Synchronized Inseminated Ward 2 – Bova; & Ward 16 Holstein & Jersey Gokwe* – Hlomayi & Peter Jimu 18 15 15 14 semen used; awaiting villages PD mid-November Simmental & Grey Brahman semen used; Lupane Ward 8 – Sobendle 15 8 8 6 awaiting PD early November Simmental, & Red & Ward 18 - Nkuba; Ward Grey Brahman semen Nkayi 21- Gwichi; & Ward 27 - 15 11 11 11 used; awaiting PD Komayanga end of October Total 58 42 40 36 Source: Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program *All inseminations in Gokwe were for dairy cows.

Five cows were inseminated in Wards 3, 16, 20, 22 and 26 of Chipinge. The cows were supplementary fed using urea treated roughages, nutritious pods from the rangeland, and molasses and were therefore on a rising plane of nutrition. The program sought the services of a renowned AI technician, Zvemberi Dzoro from Rusitu Dairies, and the farmers paid for the AI services rendered (pregnancy diagnosis, heat synchronization drugs, semen straws, and labor for inseminations). The cows were synchronized using the CIDR-Cidirol-Estrumate Fixed Time AI Protocol. All the farmers requested red Brahman semen. None of the inseminated cows returned on heat after the 21 day ovulation cycle, indicating 100 percent success rate. The program is encouraging the farmers to continue supplementing the cows’ rations and to practice the appropriate GAHPs. Eleven cattle belonging to four farmers were subjected to artificial insemination in Nkayi district. Thorough selection of the animals was conducted, and the 11 cattle were chosen from a group of 15 animals, which had been initially registered. Heat detection proved to be the main challenge faced by all farmers, and this was observed during the first Estrumate protocol. The CIDR-Cidirol-Estrumate Fixed Time AI Protocol was then adopted. Of the 11 cattle, seven responded; pregnancy diagnosis will be done in October 2016. In Lupane district, six animals belonging to three farmers were inseminated using CIDR-Cidirol- Estrumate Fixed Time AI Protocol. The cows were inseminated using semen from different breeds, which included Grey Brahman and Simmental. The animals are due for pregnancy diagnosis at the end of November 2016, to ascertain conception rates. During the review period, the program in collaboration with ABS-TCM trained 767 beneficiaries on various aspects of animal breeding and 176 beef farmers on aspects of successful AI (Table 3.3.1.2). ABS- TCM also trained 11 local inseminators to provide insemination services and improve efficiency of the breeding program. Breeding subjects included selection of quality bulls and breeding females; conception rates; reproductive diseases (contagious abortion and vibriosis); calving intervals; AI; cow identification for AI using the body condition score; designation of isolation pens for cows being bred; and proper feeding for breeding.

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Table 3.3.2 below shows current average herd composition among targeted Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program beneficiaries from the first and last round of the annual survey conducted during the year compared to baseline and the desired end of program target in Year 5.11 Table 3.3.2: Progress of beef herd composition among program beneficiaries First Round Second Round Herd Composition Baseline Average Target Year 5* FY2016 FY2016 Breeding Cows 2.0 1.60 1.63 4.00 Breeding Heifers 0.70 0.70 0.65 1.00 Bulls 0.10 0.20 0.16 0.10 Culls 0.00 0.00 0.01 1.00 Calves 0.20 0.80 0.98 4.00 Steers 1.5 yrs 0.00 0.20 0.21 2.00 Heifers 1.5 yrs 0.00 0.20 0.21 2.00 Steers 2.5 yrs 0.50 0.20 0.20 2.00 Steers 3.5 yrs (oxen) 0.80 0.90 0.78 2.00 Total Herd Size 4.30 4.80 4.83 18.10

* Target herd composition based on 100 breeding females, for 3.5 years production (80% weaning, 4% bulling, 20% culling, bulling heifers at 2 years, surplus heifers disposed at 1.5 years) Table 3.3.2 shows a notable gradual change in herd composition from the first to second round, as beneficiary awareness positively changes toward the need to increase the productive members of the herd12. For example the average number of breeding cows has increased by 1.9 percent, while the number of oxen has decreased by 13.3 percent. Farmers are also identifying cull animals for the first time. The average number of calves has also increased by 22.5 percent, indicating increased adoption of good calf rearing practices, despite the drought prevailing in program areas. The drop in the number of breeding heifers could be due to drought induced poor nutrition holding back animals, or farmers selling off the more desirable animals with the highest relative value to meet household food needs. In Chipinge, the decrease in the number of heifers is partly due to loss of calves experienced during the 2014/2015 season. While some heifers have graduated into breeding cows the number of calves graduating into heifers was affected by the poverty deaths. The majority of farmers lost some or all of their calves. Fodder production. In all beef focus areas the program promoted fodder production through demonstration plots on the fields of lead farmers. Fodder crops grown included velvet bean, sunn hemp, sweet sorghum, cactus, and mulberry tree. Program personnel provided regular training and technical assistance on good agricultural practices to lead farmers who owned these plots. Each demonstration plot was designed to produce enough fodder to feed a calculated number of cattle for at least 120 days, covering the winter lean season. Poverty deaths normally occur from September to December in most areas. The size of fodder demonstration plots therefore varied from 0.1-0.5 hectares according to the number of cattle to be fed by the host farmer. The emphasis was on saving productive animals, mainly breeding females. At each demonstration plot, the program trained farmers on production, harvesting, curing, baling, storage, and feeding of the fodder crops. In addition, the program hosted field days.

11 Composition calculation based on target in Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development contract, page 16. 12 Across the technical delivery, all trainings integrated gender issues. Gender sensitization through the Musha mukadzi concept was incorporated in all program activities to enhance female participation in agriculture and to reduce gender-based violence. Musha Mukadzi directly translated means the woman is the one who builds the family. The program is optimizing on this cultural norm to integrate more females in livestock development.

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Fodder production on all six dryland demonstration plots in Chipinge district failed due to the drought, while those grown under irrigation at Musikavanhu irrigation scheme performed well. The dry matter has been preserved to feed livestock in the critical dry months of October to December. In Nkayi district, only 10 demonstration plots out of the 16 established during the 2015/2016 farming season perfomed well and 2,250 kilograms of fodder were harvested from the total area of 1.3 hectares. The other six plots which were hosted in Wards 5, 17, and 18 were affected by poor germination and prolonged dry spells due to the drought. Two of the fodder field days held in the district hosted 140 attendees. In Lupane district, 12 velvet bean fodder demonstration plots were established by the program in four wards. All of the plots were affected by the prolonged dry spells resulting in reduced yields. Two field days were held in Wards 4 and 8. The field days were attended by a variety of stakeholders who included government heads of departments, input suppliers, and local traditional leaders. The field day in Ward 8 was graced by the president of Zimbabwe Farmers Union, Abdul Nyathi, while the one held in Ward 4 was supported by the local member of parliament for Lupane West, Martin Khumalo. In Hwange district, Wards 11 and 17 were selected for pilot fodder demonstration plots. Nine farmers (five from Ward 11 and four from Ward 17) bought velvet bean seed for their fodder plots. However, due to the intense heat wave and drought conditions prevailing, only two farmers in Ward 17 managed to plant their fodder demos. These farmers were Constance Ndaba who produced 124 bales giving her about 372 kilograms of herbage from 0.4 hectares; and Lucy Sibanda who produced 210 kilograms of velvet bean hay from 0.5 hectares. Both demonstration plots were severely affected by drought as Hwange district did not receive much meaningful rain during the farming season. In , the program conducted a fodder conservation demonstration at the farm of Pedzisa Purazi, comprising forage sorghum, velvet bean, and sunn hemp. Purazi belongs to the 12-member Kurimamombe feedlot group. A total of 2.4 tons of silage was harvested and will be used to pen feed 12 animals for 14 days. The group also harvested 50 kilograms of velvet bean seed and 25 kilograms of sunn hemp seed to be planted in the 2016/2017 agricultural season. 3.3.2 Dairy The program’s target dairy districts are Chipinge, Umzingwane, Gweru, Shurugwi, Chirumhanzu, and Gokwe South. The initial entry point for the program was working with active dairy farmers at MCCs in Gokwe South, Umzingwane, and Shurugwi. The program encouraged dairy production in non-traditional areas such as lower Chipinge, and expanded out of MCC zones. The program also resuscitated a dairy group in Chirumhanzu district. The focus during the year was on improved herd management practices across all the classes of dairy cattle by introducing GAHPs such as branding, castration, dehorning, ear tagging, farm infrastructure construction, and good animal health practices. In addition, training and technical assistance was provided in fodder production, fodder flow planning, paddocking, establishing fodder trees (Leucaena and mulberry), use of non-traditional fodder materials, and feed formulation. Adequate animal nutrition is critical for dairy herd health and productivity. Despite the delayed rains and persistent dry spells affecting all dairy zones, 733 tons of fodder was produced in all dairy focus areas (Gokwe South, Umzingwane, Shurugwi, and Chirumhanzu). Farmers were trained on proper fodder harvesting, preservation, and budgeting to enable them to feed their livestock throughout the year, especially during the critical 120 days (from September to December) and reduce the incidence of poverty deaths, while increasing cow conception rates and production.

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Low cost feed technologies along with feed formulation were promoted and adopted in the dairy hubs through use of non-conventional fodder sources. (See Annex 1; page A5 – Non-conventional fodder unlocks dairy potential) The beef-dairy concept was promoted to expand production and increase the number of farmers participating in dairy (see Annex 1; page A3- Beef-dairy offers low-cost entry point into commercial dairy). Beef-dairy farmers were encouraged to market their milk in the informal market as an entry point to commercialization. The program engaged small processors in a bid to develop formal markets for the new producers. Herd improvement through AI commenced with 14 animals inseminated with quality semen from reputable Holstein and Jersey bulls. In addition the program facilitated four beef-dairy Text Box 3.3.2.1 Drought mitigation farmers to buy in seven dairy crossbreed and innovations spur hope pure dairy animals worth more than $5,000. Ethel Dube harvested one ton of velvet beans despite the Capital to purchase these animals was made dry scorching conditions thanks to an innovative bottle drip possible through facilitated access to finance technology. Using locally available empty opaque beer and funds generated from personal savings containers, which are normally discarded, she drilled a and pen feeding of beef animals. small hole in the bottom of the plastic bottle and adjusts the screw-on top to achieve the desired dripping rate for a Fodder production. The program set up regulated amount of water at each planting station. 24 fodder demonstration plots in dairy areas to promote fodder production. These plots, A bag of matured manure is hung in a 200-liter drum run and managed by the farmers, were storing water for the bottles so that mineral nutrients can established to form the nucleus of best dissolve and be applied to the plants when the water is used in the bottle drip. The process in essence becomes practices of fodder production for other fertigation. Farmers were introduced to these technologies surrounding dairy farmers. The erratic as the drought threatened fodder crop production; the rainfall, as low as 70 millimeters (2.75 inches) bottle drip technology provides hope by bridging the recorded in some areas, along with the prolonged dry spell. “I look forward to producing feed persistent dry spell and high temperatures from this patch thanks to the use of these bottles,” Dube above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), said. Dube utilized the bottle drip technology on a 0.1 negatively affected fodder production. hectare velvet bean fodder crop. The program is also However, the program explored innovative engaging irrigation specialists such as Drip Tech and solutions, such as the bottle drip technology, Pedstock, registered suppliers of Netafim irrigation to ensure germination and crop equipment, to explore irrigation innovations to improve on this rudimentary drip tech for smallholder farmers who do establishment to minimize the impact of not have water pumping skills. these conditions (see Text Box 3.3.2.1).

In Gokwe, production of yellow maize, velvet bean, sugar graze sorghum, and sunn hemp among dairy producers performed reasonably well. In Umzingwane and Shurugwi, velvet bean and late-planted sweet sorghum also grew reasonably well. Dairy farmers were also encouraged to cut grass for hay and harvest crop residues. Hay mainly provides dry matter and fiber to animals for the efficient functioning of the rumen and is fed at a rate of six kilograms per animal per day during the lean period (September to December). Seven on-farm demonstrations showcasing treatment of

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stover with urea were conducted across the dairy areas. Farmers in all areas were encouraged to fence off their land into paddocks so that cows could have adequate and unhindered access to grazing. Ten smallholder dairy farmers established 28 paddocks on 10.7 hectares of land in Gokwe South and Chirumhanzu. Participating farmers were trained in paddock measurement and design, as well as rangeland assessment for reinforcement and pasture planting. The program promoted the use of drought-stricken summer crops, in particular maize, to produce silage. The resultant silage has a higher nutritional value than dry stover. Thirteen farmers in Shurugwi and seven in Chirumhanzu adopted the practice. Jailon Mudzengi, a farmer from Ward 12 in Shurugwi, produced seven tons of silage from a failed maize crop, enough to feed his one beef-dairy cow for 291 days. Non-traditional fodder sources. The program encouraged dairy farmers to stockpile naturally available feed resources. The pods from leguminous trees in the rangeland have a crude protein content ranging from 14 to 20 percent, quite comparable to some available commercial feeds. Sixty-four farmers were trained on feed formulation using locally available feed sources such as acacia pods. Two Gokwe South farmers (Esau Hlomayi and Lucy Gwatinyanya) have stockpiled a total of 10 tons of Dichrostachys (Mupangara), and acacia (majekenje) pods. The program, in cooperation with the two farmers, has done feeding trials in which dairy meal was substituted with one part milled acacia pods to two parts yellow maize. The farmers have reported an average 27 percent increase in milk production and 32 percent reduction in feed cost. Acacia pods have a high content of anti-nutritional factors that depress the availability of nutrients to the animal. The program in collaboration with Windmill and Fivet Animal Health is advising farmers to mitigate this by incorporating feed additives such as Browse Plus®. Farmers have harvested these pods at a cost of $0.10 per 50-kilogram bag in Gokwe South and $3 in Umzingwane, while other farmers have simply used family labor to harvest acacia pods. The program also introduced the planting of highly nutritious mulberry trees as alternative fodder. Mulberry trees thrive in dry conditions, providing medium- to long-term solutions to fodder inadequacy as well as fruits for human consumption. Thirteen dairy farmers from Umzingwane, Shurugwi, and Gokwe South received training and technical assistance on production of mulberry tree nurseries and have since established 284 mulberry plants and 14 leucaena plants. Hydroponic fodder production. This new technology was piloted by the program at three sites in Midlands as an alternative feed resource. Hydroponics produces a higher yield in shorter times (10-14 days) thereby providing a potential for all year round green fodder supply. Twenty-two dairy farmers were trained on how to establish the hydroponic fodder system including the importance of seed cleaning, fertilization, and regular watering. In Gokwe South, farmer Malayine Chidhaya initially planted 11 trays of hydroponic fodder comprised of wheat and maize and harvested a total of 132 kilograms of feed. He has since scaled up his hydroponic infrastructure with nine more trays. At full production, Chidhaya will harvest 240 kilograms of fodder in each 12-day cycle for supplementary feeding. Breeding. Baseline results showed that at program inception, fewer than 13 percent of the cattle in the herds of the targeted dairy wards were pure dairy breeds (Jersey or Friesland); instead, most of the cattle are nondescript crosses. The program’s target productive herd composition required to sustainably provide three productive milking cows is 10.13 Dairy breeding protocols have been developed to follow the same breeding principles as for beef cows, especially emphasizing fertility; semen quality or bull fertility; inseminator or bull efficiency; and heat

13 Based on an 80 percent weaning rate, 0 percent bulling, 20 percent culling, and bulling heifers at two years. In addition, steers and oxen are added to the herd as they are necessary for providing draught power; however these animals will receive minimum maintenance in terms of feed as they will be raised on communal grazing.

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detection efficiency. The breeding protocols aim to time breeding to ensure that at least two cows are milking per day at any time to produce 12 liters each. The target herd composition is based on a minimum of three milking cows.14 Table 3.3.3 shows the current average dairy herd composition among targeted program beneficiaries from the first and second round of the annual household survey compared to baseline and the desired Year 5 target.15 Table 3.3.3: Progress of dairy herd composition among program beneficiaries Herd Baseline 1st Round 2nd Round Baseline 1st 2nd Baseli 1st 2nd Target Composition Combined FY16 FY16 Commu Round Round ne Round Roun Year 5* Combined Combined nal Herd FY16 FY16 SSC SSC d Commu Commu Dairy SCC nal nal Herd Cows in milk 2.82 3.45 2.99 1.70 2.28 2.62 5.22 6.58 4.67 3.00 Dry cows 0.05 0.07 1.55 0 0 1.45 0.17 0.25 2.00 1.00 Bulls 0.26 0.36 0.45 0.04 0.25 0.44 0.72 0.67 0.50 0.00 Heifers in calf 0 0.00 0.34 0 0.00 0.18 0.00 0.00 1.08 1.00 Heifers 12 to 27 months 1.43 0.73 0.66 0.66 0.56 0.6 3.08 1.17 0.92 2.00 Heifers 6 to 12 months 0 0.64 1.42 0 0.47 1.24 0.00 1.08 2.25 2.00 Calves 1.53 1.87 2.45 0.90 1.38 2.13 2.89 3.17 3.92 2.00 Steers 1.5 yrs 0.00 0.38 0 0.00 0.34 0 0.00 0.50 0.00 1.00 Steers 2.5 yrs 0.45 0.25 1.06 0.22 0.22 0.96 0.94 0.33 1.50 1.00 Steers 3.5 yrs (oxen) 0.92 1.66 2.28 0.69 1.50 2.36 1.42 2.08 1.92 1.00 Total herd size 7.46 9.41 13.2 4.21 7.00 11.98 14.44 15.83 18.76 14.00 * Target herd composition based on three milking cows, for 300-day lactation (80% weaning, 0% bulling, 20% culling, bulling heifers at 2 years, surplus heifers steers disposed at 1.5 years. Two oxen required for draft power) Milking cows, dry cows, and breeding heifers constitute the product ive unit in a dairy enterprise. In addition, calves also provide a sound foundation for natural replacements and herd growth. Of note, the program interventions have shown positive increase in milking cows, dry cows, breeding heifers, and calves (see Table 3.3.3). This composition ensures continuity of the dairy enterprise. With training and technical assistance on GAHPs and good animal health management, the program is optimistic of maintaining this positive trend. To progress toward achieving the fifth year target, the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program focused on introducing dairy genetics through AI on existing dairy and beef-dairy cows and purchasing quality heifers to improve herd productivity and production. ABS-TCM, in partnership with the program, has trained 236 dairy farmers on AI. Fourteen dairy animals have been inseminated in Gokwe South. In Shurugwi and Umzingwane farmers have negative past experience with AI from previous programs implemented before the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program. The first task was to reverse the misconceptions held. The CIDR-Cidirol-Estrumate Fixed Time AI Protocol was adopted, after the initial Estrumate heat detection protocol had yielded limited success. The protocol (despite being more expensive) is being promoted by the program as it is more effective. Farmers will need to be given enough time to mobilize financial resources to be able to access the CIDR-Cidirol-Estrumate Fixed Time AI Protocol. The major challenges among dairy farmers in terms of the AI exercise were the declining body condition score and

14 Contract document page 17: each beneficiary household to own a minimum of three high quality milking cows with a minimum yield of 12 liters per day for 300-day lactation. 15 Contract document page 17: Each beneficiary household to own a minimum of three high quality milking cows with a minimum yield of 12 liters per day for 300-day lactation.

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that most of the cows or heifers had already been served by local bulls. The number of dairy cattle artificially inseminated is shown in Table 3.3.1 in the beef section. The program has also been promoting other avenues to access dairy cows, such as rationalizing the current dairy herds by selling off unproductive cattle including bulls, steers, and oxen, and utilizing the sales proceeds to source quality female dairy cows and heifers. The program assisted Rosemary Phebeni from Shurugwi, Midlands to procure three Red Dane-Tuli cross in-calf heifers for $3,900. Phebeni increased her $520 savings from a feedlot activity in December 2015 through trading in various wares, and then used the total earnings together with other income sources to purchase the heifers. Phebeni is currently producing 13 liters per day from her two milking cows worth $13 translating to $3,900 in gross annual income if she milks for 300 days. 3.3.3 GAHPs A look at the baseline herd composition figures for both beef and dairy demonstrates the need to improve weaning and conception rates to realize the productive potential of the existing herds. The program is focused on promoting practices that improve the production and productivity of beef and dairy herds of the smallholder farmers. The aim is to ensure high weaning and correct growth rates; consistently good body condition scores and reduced calf mortality to maximize the benefits from natural herd growth. In addition, the program needs to ensure herd health and improve efficiencies in artificial insemination service provision. During the period under review the program in conjunction with DVS, DLPD, and ABS-TCM, and collaborating with input suppliers, promoted, trained, and gave technical assistance through farmer managed demonstrations at the centers of excellence on the following GAHPs and technologies: Branding. Branding of cattle is an important identification tool which, in communal areas, is used to link the cattle to the dip tank of origin, so owners can be traced if the cattle stray. However, not all cattle are branded, particularly if the owners have avoided paying their dipping fees. Branding is also used in feedlots and direct marketing exercises from red zone areas to identify cattle destined for direct slaughter, and movement permits are not issued unless all cattle are branded with an ‘S’ mark. Branding in Chipinge was mainly done on cattle marketed either through feedlots or directly off the rangeland. The Zimbabwe Republic Police also took advantage of direct marketing meetings to introduce the concept of personal branding of cattle, and 50 program beneficiaries adopted this new identification system so if their cattle stray, they can be identified and returned to the owner. The Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program in conjunction with DVS trained farmers and facilitated the branding of 130 animals belonging to 15 households in Irisvale, Umzingwane, with a Z6 branding iron that identifies the dip tank the animals use. Branding is a basic recordkeeping tool that enables livestock traceability to farm of origin. Ear tagging. This technology involves placing a double sided plastic tag through the ear of the animal to give it a unique identification mark for traceability and recordkeeping. In addition to the animal number, the owner’s phone number is usually inscribed on the tag in indelible ink so that if the animal strays, the finder can notify the owner of its whereabouts. The technology was adopted by 240 farmers in Chipinge who are using it for positive identification of cattle being directly marketed to abattoirs. The farmer’s initials and a unique serial number for each truck load were written on the tag to allow the abattoir to differentiate the cattle. Of the 870 cattle sold through both feedlots and direct marketing no cattle identification problems were witnessed because of this system. Some farmers have now also started tagging their breeding herds, which is a good start to recordkeeping. In program run demonstration sessions, four farmers ear tagged their 36 animals in Umzingwane; in Lupane, seven farmers ear tagged their 45 animals and 162 cattle belonging to 18 farmers were ear tagged in Nkayi. The program facilitated the farmers to purchase the ear tags.

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Dehorning. Dehorning calves soon after birth with a hot iron destroys the horn buds and prevents the animal from growing horns. It is rarely practiced by smallholder farmers who often prefer a horned animal as it is presumed easier to handle and subdue. However, horned cattle tend to bully those without, particularly when confined in pens and when there is competition for feed, as in feedlots. This GAHP was least valued by farmers in Chipinge as they initially failed to establish its relevance but when supplementary feeding was introduced, they quickly observed that large trough space was required when cattle have horns. During feeding, dehorned cattle are also calmer and this was also observed during transportation to the market. A number of program beneficiaries now want to learn about this practice and the program is targeting for a full scale dehorning exercise in the coming calving season (October – March). Thirty-four calves in Umzingwane and Lupane were dehorned using a hot iron bar in demonstration sessions by the program. Castration. An increased number of inquiries were received from farmers in Chipinge who needed assistance in castration of their male calves and this is attributed to feedback received at abattoirs where castrated cattle have potential to achieve good grades while bulls, particularly older ones, cannot exceed economy grade despite being in good condition. In all dairy areas, farmers were urged to castrate all bull calves as way of ensuring undesirable bulls are removed from the dairy herds. Farmers were given practical training on castration using the rubber ring method and the burdizzo. In program run demonstrations, 12 animals were castrated using the rubber rings, while 22 were castrated using the burdizzo in Umzingwane and Chirumhanzu respectively. In addition, 24 animals were castrated in demonstration sessions in Lupane district. Calf rearing. Healthy calves are the foundation of any future herd, a consideration often neglected and overlooked by smallholder farmers. While Photo by Fintrac Inc. beef calves are generally left to run with their An innovative movable calf pen at a center of dams, dairy calves are removed soon after birth excellence in Gokwe South. and reared in separate facilities, often inadequate in nature. Calf scours is the main problem faced by farmers in rearing calves. Calf scours, causes more losses to cattle farmers than any other health problem. Calf scours is not a single disease; it is a clinical sign associated with poor management such as nutritional shortcomings, inadequate environment, and insufficient attention to the calf as well as several diseases. Farmers are encouraged to ensure that pregnant dams have adequate nutrition as the quantity and quality of the colostrum they produce, which passes on maternal antibodies to the calf, is adversely affected by poor nutrition. The calf has to nurse the colostrum before it is two to four hours old in order to absorb the colostrum antibodies. Farmers were encouraged to construct calf pens that keep calves warm, dry, free from fecal matter, and protected from direct sunshine, winds, and rains. The program in conjunction with an innovative farmer in Gokwe South came up with a moveable calf pen, which the program is now promoting for adoption by dairy farmers (see Figure 3.3.3). Feed formulation. To reduce the cost of feeding for production and survival, farmers in all program areas have been encouraged to gather tree pods and other nutritious materials from the rangeland, in addition to crop stover. Acacia pods have protein content in excess of 14 percent. The program

Prepared by Fintrac Inc. 26 Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program | Annual Report #1 promoted low cost feed formulations for both beef and dairy. For dairy the mixture includes acacia pods and snap corn as a substitute for commercial dairy meal. For beef the ration includes acacia pods, crop stover and molasses as a replacement for survival meal and pen fattening meal. In Chipinge, the program negotiated with ARDA / Rating Middle Sabi and ARDA / Macdom Chisumbanje for farmers to collect sugarcane trash and grass from estate fields. Farmers collected 84 tons of cane trash and more than 60 tons of grass through this arrangement. The collected trash and grass is mixed with molasses and acacia pods for feeding cattle. Farmers in all areas were trained on urea treatment of stover to improve the palatability and quality of the stover. Practical demonstrations were done at centers of excellence and in Chipinge, 2.9 tons were treated; 2.4 tons in Matabeleland North; and 3.75 tons in Midlands. Individual farmers with grass and crop stover have taken up the practice in all program areas. Animal health. Farmers often neglect animal health issues and are reluctant to commit resources to prevent diseases. In part, this is due to the long term dependency on state organizations such as the DVS who have always provided free animal health services to smallholder farmers. Current chronic lack of resources has led to the collapse of many of these services and program beneficiaries are encouraged to take responsibility for the health of their animals. The program trained dairy farmers on on-farm tick control using knapsack sprayers. All dairy centers of excellence have adopted this practice for their cows and farmers learned proper handling, spraying, storage, and disposal of the dipping chemicals. Farmers in Chipinge were advised to follow dipping schedules and to also spray their own cattle when there were challenges preventing regular dipping at the dip tank. Program beneficiaries are also encouraged to pay their dipping fees and Chipinge Veterinary Services has expressed its gratitude to the program on several occasions for this assistance. The timely vaccination of the district’s cattle against Foot and Mouth Disease and Anthrax this year by the department is attributed to improved payment of dipping fees. Individual farmers also now have vet kits as recommended by the program and most farmers who were assisted to sell cattle invested some of the income in veterinary drugs to improve the health of their remaining herds. During the dry season, hungry cattle will pick up and attempt to eat almost anything, including bones from other dead animals, which can harbor botulism, so farmers are encouraged to vaccinate against this disease, as well as anthrax. Farmers are also encouraged to do basic preventative vaccinations for certain diseases which are known to occur in each area. Beneficiaries in all areas are being encouraged to construct sound cattle handling facilities, to ensure effective execution of on-farm animal health operations. Deworming. Farmers were trained to dose cattle with anthelmintics to lessen the parasite burden on animals already severely malnourished as a result of the drought. All farmers participating in cattle marketing as well as drought mitigation activities in program areas were trained on the importance of deworming and impressive adoption rates were experienced over the year. All cattle marketed through feedlots were dewormed at induction stage to make sure worms did not affect their performance and minimize risks of carcass condemnation because of beef measles. The feedback from abattoirs also helped increase the number of cattle dewormed in the districts. Beef measles were detected on cattle from Musani area in Chipinge and although the carcasses were accepted because infection levels were low, the farmers who accompanied the cattle for slaughter returned home with a message for their colleagues on the importance of constructing toilets and deworming their cattle. Ratidzo Felistus, a farmer in Chirumhanzu who participated in one of the training sessions and adopted the practice had said “We used to lose about 15 percent of our calves before six months of age due to

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worms, but the program training has equipped my family to identify and seek prompt treatment of our stock.” Dosing calves starts at 30 days from birth in areas with high tape worm and roundworm infestation. The cost of dosing is in the range of $0.40-0.65 depending on the size of the animal. Dosing and dipping are critical as they help improve animal productivity and reduce preventable disease occurrence, especially tick-borne diseases. Body condition scoring. Body condition scoring is an assessment of the flesh and fat cover of an animal to determine its overall suitability for pen fattening and direct marketing. Farmers marketing cattle off the rangeland and those intending to pen fatten used the tool to select animals and determine timing of the exercise. Body condition scoring is also used when assessing cows and heifers for breeding. A score of 3 and above is considered adequate for AI suitability. Aleck Muchini of Manesa area in Ward 3 Chipinge benefited from training on body condition scoring when he requested the program to do AI on his heifer. The heifer was initially disqualified because the body condition was at 2.5 but after supplementary feeding for one month the score improved to 3.5, acceptable for AI breeding. Dairy farmers in all areas are now feeding their milking cows toward attaining and maintaining body condition score of 3. Before program inception, pure and cross dairy breeds were producing milk yields as low as 2 liters per cow per day. Body condition score of less than 3 results in lower milk yields, farmers have been trained to feed their animals to attain and maintain body condition score of at least 3. Recordkeeping. Smallholder cattle farmers in Chipinge district were not keeping any records, but through continuous training on the importance of tracking costs and incomes, some adoption is now being observed. Most farmers are discouraged from keeping records by the absence of sales and a significant improvement is expected to take place as the herd sizes increase, enabling farmers to sell every year. The increased performance of alternative income sources is also expected to improve recordkeeping. Farmers were trained to keep separate records for each individual dairy cow to make better productivity decisions. Ethel Dube, from Irisvale, in is one such farmer now making better informed decisions on feeding, culling, breeding and selling based on these records. She identified that out of her current herd of five milking cows only one cow was sustaining the rest of the herd and sold one of the identified unproductive cows for $500. Farmers were trained on production records and daily cash records as tools to track productivity, income, and expenditure and hence profitability. A total of 657 farmers (45 percent women) were trained on the importance of record keeping, as a decision making tool. Recordkeeping has been taken as a pro-business tool by farmers who want to secure loans from micro-finance institutions and one small scale commercial farmer, Chidhaya Bennita, presented her records to Untu and secured a second loan of $500, after successfully repaying her first loan in May 2016. Farm infrastructure. More attention was given to the construction of hay racks, crush pens, milking parlors, water troughs, cattle pens, races and cattle loading ramps. New pens were constructed and many more were renovated either for feedlots or for cattle housing and handling. More than 30 farmers in Chipinge were assisted by the program in constructing cattle races and this has made cattle handling easier. Feed trough construction has also become very important for most farmers as they are now supplementing their cattle. The program trained farmers on the use of old vehicle tires to make feed troughs. Farmers have also adopted low cost feed storage facilities that hold from 5 to 10 tons of stock feeds. Centers of excellence are used to showcase the construction of these farm infrastructures. Lead farmers Ethel Dube, Rosemary Phebeni, and Rebecca Bhebhe have constructed new hay sheds; Ledson Mubonesi and Maggie Madidi in Chipinge have constructed stock feed storage sheds holding between 5

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and 10 tons of fodder; Sarah Ndodha and Ethel Dube have constructed new milking parlors and Esau Hlomayi in Gokwe South constructed drinking and feed troughs, calf rearing pens, and hay sheds. 3.3.4 Partnerships EG.3.2-5 Number of public-private partnerships formed as a result of USG assistance Partnerships with providers of finance and credit, marketing, and business development are a key part of the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program’s approach to commercialization of small-scale farmers. Engaging commercial companies ensures market-led program interventions and cost-shared alliances with private sector partners to deliver products and services. The strategy is to engage private sector partners and subcontractors to not only purchase product or supply inputs, but also to finance some developmental facets of the value chain (such as supplying marketing information, supplying milking cans on a cost-recovery basis, or setting up joint chilling facilities with producers). Buyers, input suppliers, and finance institutions have in-house expertise in beef and dairy production, quality standards, and market specifications that they can transfer to small-scale producers. The companies listed in Annexes 3 and 4 were engaged by the program during the review period. Through Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), explanations of mutual benefit, and subcontracts some have transacted with Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program beneficiaries in target districts during the year. As a drought mitigation measure, the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program engaged Mandigonera Enterprises, a Zimbabwean inclusive goat sourcing, processing, and marketing company, to buy small livestock from program beneficiaries. The partnership is anticipated to achieve the following: • Improve access to the mainstream meat markets for smallholder farmers that offer fair prices for their goats. • Support the adoption of good agricultural practices (GAPs) in goat husbandry. • Reduce farmers’ vulnerability to economic shocks arising from climate change. To broaden the milk marketing base for program beneficiaries, two small-scale Text Box 3.3.3: New partnerships could processors were engaged by the program in strengthen program activities efforts to create partnerships. Small-scale processors offer a bridging market for Competitive Brand Shapers (CBS) is a registered small- scale processor in Harare that specializes in natural sour beneficiaries as currently the volumes being milk (Izinkefu). CBS supplies markets as far as Masvingo produced are still too low to attract some and Bulawayo and has expressed the need to expand large-scale processors (see Text Box 3.3.3). processed milk sales into these markets. Currently, CBS In addition a Request for Proposals (RFP) processes 3,000-4,000 liters of milk per day and plans to was launched to solicit the services of a open a dairy plant in Gweru and Chirumhanzu, which technical partner to assist in the opens the door for linkages to program beneficiaries. development and marketing of milk from Adriaan Scheepers is a commercial farmer and the smallholder farmers. The program is shareholder at Kershelmar dairies where he delivers at optimistic that a partner will be identified least 6,000 liters of milk daily. The Feed the Future early in FY2017. Zimbabwe Livestock Development program team held discussions with him to explore the possibility of To enhance the provision of timely technical working with program beneficiaries as outgrowers. and marketing information to its beef and Scheepers’ farm is situated in Chirumhanzu district and is dairy beneficiaries, the program signed an central to Lynwood dairy group and wards 23 and 2 in MOU with Econet Wireless to support the Shurugwi. development of a mobile platform called EcoFarmer to provide short message service (SMS) hints and tips for smallholder livestock beneficiaries.

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The partnership provides Econet with beef and dairy technical material and information for the development of mobile-based advisories. Beneficiary farmers subscribe to this service for a nominal fee of $0.50 per month. Technical SMS messages follow the beef calendar. Efforts to have the SMS in the vernacular are underway. During the review period, the program established formal working relationships with six private companies against a target of 15. 3.4 NUTRITION AND WASH

The program completed and submitted for approval a Nutrition and WASH Strategy to guide the implementation of this component. In addition, an RFP for identifying a technical partner to assist in implementing the program’s completed Nutrition and WASH Strategy was launched. The solicitation process will be completed in the first half of FY 2017. Improved nutrition and hygiene practices and behavior component has seven indicators that were monitored in order to ensure improved nutrition and hygiene practices and behaviors. The indicators are reported under three sub–intermediary components: • Improved utilization of nutritious foods • Improved hygiene behaviors • Increased prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding

3.4.1 Improved Utilization of Nutritious Foods The drought increased the burden of ensuring food security on program beneficiaries and is atypical to a normal season when farmers are able to obtain diverse produce from the summer crops growing in their fields. Activities to increase food diversity focused on raising awareness and sensitizing program beneficiaries on the nutrient content of various foods as well as the different food groups. Beneficiaries can now identify locally found nutritious foods that can be added to current diets; are aware of the need for the production of small livestock for animal protein; are growing some of the vegetables in their nutrition Photo by Fintrac Inc. gardens; and are raising fruit trees. Mulberry cuttings nursery awaiting transplanting in Nkayi district. Activities also focused on improving children’s health through imparting knowledge on the importance of the frequency of meals, diversity of meals, and use of local nutritious foods, especially in areas which had relatively good harvests, such as Gokwe South (Midlands) and Nkayi (Matabeleland North). Behavior change on utilization of nutritious foods by program beneficiaries during the review period is reported below under the five monitored indicators: • LD2 Percent of households that consistently consume at least 5 of the 9 food groups; • LD14 Prevalence of children 6-23 months receiving a minimum acceptable diet; • HL.9.1-c Women’s dietary diversity: Mean number of food groups consumed by women of reproductive age; • LD12 Prevalence of households with moderate or severe hunger;

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• LD16 Number of people trained in child health and nutrition through USG-supported programs; The percentage of households that consistently consume at least five of the nine food groups had a baseline score of seven percent with the annual target set at 12 percent. Results from the AHS indicate that 26 percent of beneficiary households were consuming at least five of the nine food groups. At least 40 percent of households in Umzingwane, Kwekwe and Shurugwi were consuming five or more food groups in their diets. In Chipinge and Lupane, less than 20 percent of the households consumed five or more food groups. Chipinge and Lupane are some of the districts that were hard-hit by the 2014/2015 drought and the current El Nino induced drought. The poor rains and the resultant poor food production from own sources resulted in limited scope and source of different foods. In addition, the low household incomes and undeveloped food markets in these areas resulted in limited access to diverse foods. In all areas households are consuming on average 3.8 food groups consisting mainly of cereals, leafy vegetables, other vegetables and fruit, and occasionally meat and dairy products. The program is encouraging farmers to set up nutrition gardens and raise small livestock in all its focus areas, particularly in Lupane, Nkayi, and Chipinge. Nutrition gardens help farmers in diversifying their crops and increases the variety in their diets. The program facilitated 15 farmers to set up functioning nutrition gardens in Chipinge during the review period. Water shortage in most areas especially during the dry months (May-November) has slowed the establishment of nutrition gardens among beneficiaries. In addition, the program has provided training on clean and hygienic methods of drying vegetables and fruits using low cost solar driers. Demonstrations using a variety of leafy vegetables (spinach, blackjack, spider flower, cowpea leaves, sweet potato leaves, amaranth, pumpkin leaves) were conducted in program areas. Vegetables were first blanched to kill enzymatic reaction prior to drying. Farmers have been encouraged to plant fruit trees, as consumption of fruits is low in most areas. Mulberry trees are being promoted as the fruit and leaves are beneficial to both humans and livestock. The tree is drought tolerant, easy to propagate and grows well under different climatic and edaphic conditions. LD14 Prevalence of children 6-23 months receiving a minimum acceptable diet Ten percent of children aged 6-23 months received a minimum acceptable diet compared to one percent at baseline. There were low numbers of children within this age group recorded among beneficiaries. The program recorded poor feeding habits in those households with children of this age group. Most of these children were given food only during the regular meal times of adults. Some had been discontinued from any other milk source, while others were still on breast milk alone. Infrequent and undiversified diets result in slow growth and increase the chances of stunting. In Chipinge, the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program is collaborating with the ENSURE program to promote timely and adequate introduction of food to children after the age of six months. Dietary diversity is limited due to lack of knowledge, limited access to different food sources, and low purchasing power of households in some of the program areas. Setting up nutrition gardens, raising small livestock and planting quick to mature fruit trees is encouraged. HL.9.1-c Women’s dietary diversity: Mean number of food groups consumed by women of reproductive age Dietary diversity for women of child bearing age was at 3.7 food groups compared to the baseline score of 2.5 and the FY 2016 target of 2.8. Main food groups consumed were cereals, leafy vegetables, other vegetables and fruits and occasionally dairy products and vitamin A-rich vegetables. The program conducted food demonstrations; helped set up nutrition gardens; encouraged production of small stock; and integrated nutrition awareness campaigns with the livestock technical messages to encourage the consumption of different locally available foods. LD12 Prevalence of households with moderate or severe hunger Poor rains received in the two last farming seasons, 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 increased vulnerability of most households toward hunger and starvation in program focus areas. Thus, the annual program target

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for FY 2016 was set at par with the baseline finding of 39 percent. Sample data from the AHS indicated 25 percent of households were facing moderate to severe hunger. Chipinge was the worst hit, contributing 69 percent of the total households reporting moderate to severe hunger. The program is providing linkages to new markets and encouraging households to sell off unproductive cattle to meet their basic food needs, hence the reduction in the prevalence of households facing hunger across program beneficiaries. LD16 Number of people trained in child health and nutrition through USG-supported programs Child health and nutrition trainings were conducted among beneficiaries to raise awareness and knowledge for other complementing activities. The trainings included the following topics: • Growth monitoring. The program worked with village health workers in Nkayi and Chipinge districts to reinforce and educate mothers on the importance of monitoring their children’s growth through routine visits to the local health centers. In addition, mothers were assisted in correctly interpreting the child health and immunization record card. • Complementary feeding. Mothers were sensitized on the importance of timely introduction of other complementary foods to children at 6 months and gradually increasing the complementary feeds until the child can feed from a healthy family pot. The program promoted the need for continued breastfeeding and the use of other forms of milk feed until the age of 2. Using child care volunteers and village health workers, the program demonstrated how different foods from the family pot can be mixed to create infant feeds without extra costs. These lessons also encouraged mothers to start nutrition gardens to help to increase diversity. • Exclusive breastfeeding. The program trained and demonstrated to pregnant and lactating mothers on how a child can be exclusively breast fed for the first six months. • Maternal Child Health. These trainings capacitated women of different age groups to prepare adequate diets for all women of child bearing age to ensure they reduce infant and maternal mortality caused by malnutrition. In liaison with village health workers, simple messages on the importance of supplementing diets for pregnant mothers with iron tablets, folic acid, and vitamin A were designed and communicated. Supplementing diets of pregnant mothers with the above nutrients reduce the incidences of anemia and promote good growth of the fetus and the newly born child. Mothers in Chirumhanzu appreciated the need of growing their own diverse crops and fruits in order to ensure access to the essential micronutrients. The program achieved 1,873 trainings on child health and nutrition during the review period against a target of 2,125. Though farmers were exposed to several interventions on child health nutrition there has been a challenge on adoption as most sessions were done at training points away from their homesteads. Follow-up technical assistance visits positively affected significantly the adoption of some behaviors, even the difficult ones such as breastfeeding. A total of 633 program beneficiaries received training on child health while 1,291 learned nutrition- related topics. Table 3.4.1: Child Health, Nutrition and WASH Trainings by District in FY2016 District Child Health Nutrition WASH Chipinge 149 485 338 Chirumhanzu 78 163 106 Gokwe South 117 120 233 Gweru 62 83 83 Hwange - - 35 Kwekwe 97 76 168 Lupane 47 73 151 Nkayi 35 92 168

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Table 3.4.1: Child Health, Nutrition and WASH Trainings by District in FY2016 District Child Health Nutrition WASH Shurugwi 32 139 78 Umzingwane 16 60 56 Total 633 1,291 1,416

3.4.2 Improved Hygiene Behaviors LD3 Percent of households that consistently practice at least 4 out 6 good hygiene practices The six hygiene behavior changes that were monitored included: • Handwashing stations with cleansing agent and water within 10 paces of latrines. This indicator was easily adopted by farmers with already built latrines. Sample data from the AHS indicate that 80 percent of program beneficiaries had latrines. During the year under review, 58 new latrines were erected across program areas and these were equipped with the recommended tippy taps. Some farmers used proceeds from their livestock sales to build the latrines (See Annex 1; page A2 – Nutrition and WASH key to livestock development). Although the use of latrines with a washing station was prevalent across most program areas, the use of hand cleaning Photo by Fintrac Inc. detergents remained low and requires Tanja Save uses a tippy tap to wash her hands at a recently continual awareness among farmers. A built toilet at Mzola East in Lupane, Matabeleland North. substantial number of farmers still have low perceived severity of the consequences of not washing their hands properly after visiting the toilet. Availability of the cleaning agent is also perceived as a cost. The program is encouraging farmers to use ash as a substitute to the detergent. • Hand washing with cleansing agent at four critical moments (after defecating; after cleaning a child or handling diapers; before preparing food; before eating). Most households wash their hands but rarely use a detergent. Poor performance on this indicator was due to missing cleansing agent, absence of water in the container and failure to wash hands at all four critical moments. Early adopters were mostly from the dairy areas of Umzingwane and Gokwe South where hygiene practices are also critical in clean and quality milk production. In Kwekwe and Shurugwi the program collaborated with other implementing organizations to spearhead adoption. A total of 560 tippy taps, hand washing stations, were erected across program focus areas. • Dispose of solid household waste in protected pit. The program trained farmers on the safe disposal of household waste to improve their hygiene. The program promoted a two rubbish pit system, one for degradable waste and the other for non-biodegradable plastics. A total of 465 rubbish pits were dug during the period under review. This behavior change was easy to adopt due to the associated low to zero cost.

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• Use of recommended water treatment/purification technologies. Common methods that are readily used by beneficiaries include boiling water and adding water purification tablets. Despite being the least expensive, boiling water was seldom practiced as households indicated that they disliked the taste of boiled water. The use of chlorine tablets was not popular because of the residual chlorine taint in the purified water. In Gokwe South, Kwekwe and Shurugwi, most farmers with the assistance from the local Environmental Health Technicians are adding purification solution to their protected wells and this provides treatment of up to six months without the chlorine taint. The program is working on identifying other low cost water purification methods. • Storing water in safe storage containers. Use of a clean and appropriate vessel with a narrow neck and a tap and/or lid to store water is one practice that was promoted. Most households had clean containers with no lids or narrow necks, facing challenges of contamination especially from children. Beneficiaries were encouraged to store water separately for drinking and for other household use. It was easy to discuss safe water sources in Chipinge and Gokwe as these areas had recently experienced outbreaks of cholera and adopters of the good practice were noted. However, ignorance and inherent practices such as drinking water from open sources like irrigation canals, dams, springs and unprotected wells are still prevalent in most focus areas. The program will continue with awareness campaigns in partnership with other development practitioners to promote safe storage and use of household drinking water. • Dispose all feces including the children’s in a toilet/latrine. Trainings were conducted on the need for proper human waste disposal in all program focus areas. Of note, the program highlighted the link between improper disposal of human waste and the incidence of beef measles in cattle to influence behavior change. Beef measles is an economic disease which results in the downgrading or total condemnation of carcasses. Carcasses of cattle with beef measles are condemned resulting in financial losses to the farmer. In most program focus areas, toilet construction has been funded by donors; hence the community still expects to receive donations toward their construction. The program recorded the construction of 58 new toilets in the focus areas. Funding of Text Box 3.4.2: Exclusive breastfeeding - construction is from own savings or partial happy farmer with healthy exclusively proceeds from cattle sales. Construction of breastfed baby. toilets was mainly done in Lupane, Chipinge, and Nkayi with the assistance During the pregnancy of her third child, Spiwe Mpunzi in from field based environmental health Lupane, Matabeleland North received breastfeeding technicians and village health workers in training. When she delivered her child, she requested to designing and siting. The targeted behavior give him his first breast feed within the first hour at the clinic and the nurses commended the good practice. change in most areas was initially on Ever since, she has exclusively breastfed her son and has promotion of toilet use in replacing the never encountered problems of diarrhea or fever as she bush system, thus making inroads to did with her other children. The program is promoting promotion of the other behavior changes exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and then on sanitation. Where toilets are available, it gradual introduction of complementary food thereafter was easier for the household to adopt new for optimal growth during the first 1,000 days. hygiene practices. Hygiene behaviors were set to improve from the baseline score of 13 percent to a target of 20 percent by the end of FY 2016. The score improved to 24 percent by year-end. Although farmers recognize the need to practice the six hygiene practices, many still perceive a lack of efficacy in doing so. Thus, the program uses awareness campaigns, trainings,

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demonstrations, technical visits and on-the-ground monitoring to reinforce behavior. As a result beneficiary farmers in focus areas are adopting improved hygienic practices and erecting hygienic structures such as toilets, fly traps and handwashing facilities. 3.4.3 Increased Prevalence of Exclusive Breastfeeding LD 13 Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding of children under six months of age Baseline score for exclusive breastfeeding was 72 percent, the AHS score was 69 percent. The program collaborated with village health workers and community volunteers to improve out-outreach and reinforcing the messages on exclusive breastfeeding. 3.5 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCIAL LINKAGES

Business development and financial linkage services are cross-cutting activities that contribute directly to program results by assisting beneficiaries in identifying long-term opportunities for earning additional income. During the reporting period, activities focused on: • Farmer organization. Developing the organizational capacity of farmer groups to participate in profitable value chains by providing training and support to leaders and members in key managerial duties such as budgeting, work planning, simple financial management, conflict resolution, and good governance. Training was provided on group formation around centers of excellence. • Leadership skills. Training lead farmers running the centers of excellence to establish a permanent knowledge and skills base within the community to promote the adoption of GAPs, GAHPs, and good business practices. Technical assistance was provided on constitution formulation and governance issues within farmer groups. • Developing business skills. Improving planning and decision making by imparting basic business skills such as enterprise budgeting, recordkeeping and performance evaluation. Trainings and technical assistance included recordkeeping, enterprise budgeting, and action planning among other topics. • Facilitating access to credit. Fostering good business ethics and improving the credit worthiness of first time borrowers by facilitating the design of group lending models. Farmers were then linked to MFIs. • Improving market access and strengthening market linkages. Reducing transaction costs by linking farmer groups to input, output, and financial markets. Beef farmers were linked directly to abattoirs and new marketing options introduced including auctions. Technical support was provided to farmer groups on governance, administration, and collective access to input, output and financial markets. Farmers organized in the groups were trained on group management and leadership skills, enterprise budgeting, contract management, credit control, recordkeeping, risk management, and marketing principles to equip them with essential business skills. To ensure all targeted farmers adopted good business and agricultural practices regardless of the size of their operation, all activities took place in cooperation with private sector partners or NGOs linked to for-profit companies (Annex 3 & 4). Some of these partners have MOUs with the program while others are input suppliers, buyers and lenders that work in cooperation with the program. Central to an effective rollout of these activities was a conscious strategy to ensure their sustainability after the program withdraws. To this end, DLPD, DVS and AGRITEX, partner field staff and farmer group leaders were engaged in all the training activities as co-facilitators. In addition to the crucial role of business training, commercialization requires a range of other specific business-related interventions, as summarized by the five Feed the Future indicators below.

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3.5.1 Technical Assistance and Training EG.3.2-4 Number of for-profit private enterprises, producers organizations, water users associations, women's groups, trade and business associations, and community-based organizations (CBOs) receiving USG food security related organizational development assistance A total of 10 producer groups, four MCCs, and 34 feedlot groups were provided with training and technical assistance to build their capacity to manage key functions. The topics included drafting and use of constitutions, duties of office bearers, budgeting, action planning, collective input procurement, product consolidation and financial accounting. The outcome of these trainings is summarized below: • Four MCCs collaborating with the program were assisted in reviewing their constitutions to include enforceable by-laws that improved group cohesion. Takawira MCC (Chirumhanzu) elected a new executive committee to replace the old committee whose term of office had expired as dictated by their constitution. In the same vein, Umzingwane MCC (Umzingwane) tasked the finance sub-committee to oversee the group’s financial transactions to improve accountability of money and other assets. Gokwe MCC (Gokwe South) and Tongogara MCC (Shurugwi) who are registered as cooperatives, were assisted to re-align their constitutions to conform to the national statute on cooperatives. Consequently, improved group cohesion has been noted at Takawira and Gokwe. Lack of balance of power is still a problem at Umzingwane MCC and conflicts are still recurring within the executive committee at Tongogara MCC. • Executive committee members of the four MCCs received training on operational budgeting, business systems and action planning to improve their viability. For example, at Gokwe MCC, historical milk intake records over a seven-month period from June to December 2015 revealed that the volume of milk delivered to the center was insufficient to break even and cover the center’s operational costs. Only 16 of the 60 farmer members consistently delivered their break even quota of 174 liters per month over the seven months. A similar trend was observed at Takawira, Tongogara, and Umzingwane MCCs. Using the analysis, members devised work plans for turning around their businesses. • To boost the volume of milk delivered to the MCCs so that they can achieve appropriate economies of scale, the program is working with dairy farmers to simultaneously increase milk yield at farm level and the number of farmers regularly delivering milk. Takawira MCC with a membership of 16 was assisted to review a prohibitive clause in their constitution that required a new member to first pay a joining fee of $200 prior to admission. This barrier to entry was removed and now new members are required to negotiate a payment plan that allows payment in instalments once new members start delivering milk to the MCC. In Gokwe, three satellite groups (Simukai, Bambanani and Batanai) were mobilized to feed into the main collection center. At Tongogara MCC, a satellite group (Gwanza) located 60 kilometers from the MCC was formed to establish a sub-collection center to offset the prohibitive transport costs when milk is delivered to the MCC. • At Gokwe South MCC, farmers and the center administrator received training and technical assistance on product portfolio analysis that indicated that although cultured milk had a higher marginal income of $0.33 per liter than raw milk at $0.28, low sales of the cultured milk makes raw milk, with a ready market at Dendairy, more profitable. The program advised the group to pursue a market penetration strategy by selling more raw milk and process just enough to meet the current demand for cultured milk. Developing the cultured milk market is proving to be a non-viable option in the short term given the stiff competition; low purchasing power of consumers; and the liquidity crisis. • In the same vein at Umzingwane MCC, farmers and the center administrator received training and technical assistance to conduct market surveys. The training helped to salvage more than 700 liters of milk that was about to be discarded after exceeding its sell-by date. With program

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assistance, the MCC accessed new markets in and Filabusi. As a result, the Umzingwane MCC managed to sell 702 liters of milk in four days, up from previous average sales of 104 liters over the same period. The same outlets are currently serviced by a small-scale processor (Short Spring Farm) who is leasing the MCC premises for processing cultured milk. • At Takawira MCC, efforts to link the group with Hamaruomba MCC for supply of raw milk is hindered by their limited installed chilling capacity of 150 liters per day. The group must deliver 300 liters per day to cover transport cost of $0.22 per liter versus a producer price of $0.50 per liter. The program is working with the group toward investing in increased chilling capacity. Farming as a family business training was provided to 1,909 beneficiaries, (Table 3.5.1) during the review period. Integrated training and technical assistance was provided in enterprise performance evaluation, recordkeeping, enterprise budgeting, and farm planning. Forty-one percent of the beneficiaries receiving business training were women. Table 3.5.1: Business Skills Training by District, FY2016 District Female Male Total % Female Chipinge 212 380 592 36 Chirumhanzu 116 150 266 44 Gokwe South 101 187 288 35 Gweru 70 21 91 77 Hwange 6 2 8 75 Kwekwe 57 99 156 37 Lupane 41 43 84 49 Nkayi 64 60 124 52 Shurugwi 68 128 196 35 Umzingwane 48 56 104 46 Grand Total 783 1,126 1,909 41

Table 3.5.2 shows the breakdown of beneficiaries who received business skills trainings in various subjects, including farmer group organization, group marketing, recordkeeping, and farm planning. Table 3.5.2: Business Skills Training by Subject, FY2016 Subject Female Male Total % Female Contract Management 44 71 115 38 Credit Management 102 138 240 43 Farm Planning 75 83 158 47 Record Keeping 296 361 657 45 Group Marketing 406 620 1,026 40 Enterprise Budgeting 189 304 493 38 Farmer Group Organization 364 543 907 40 Capacity Building 23 56 79 29 Bank Account Establishment 13 7 20 65

Recordkeeping was introduced on a gradual scale starting with a simple daily cash record that tracks income and expenditure at household level. In Nkayi and Lupane, 100 farmers were assisted to improve animal identification as the first step toward adopting recordkeeping for herd management. The farmers collectively purchased ear tags. 3.5.2 Access to Finance and Credit Access to credit was facilitated for 207 farmers through group lending models that provided group co- guarantees as a security option for receiving commercial loans.

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EG.3.2-3 Number of MSMEs, including farmers, receiving agricultural related credit as a result of USG assistance. In the beef value chain, the program collaborated with MFIs (Quest Financial Services and Untu Microfinance) to train a total of 207 cattle farmers (32 percent women), drawn from 29 feedlots across the project sites. The training focused on enterprise budgeting to determine loan values, credit control to minimize default rate, and constitution making to operationalize the group lending schemes. As a result, 191 input loans (ranging from $118 to $160 per animal) worth a total of $52,301 were disbursed as working capital to procure stock feed from either National Foods or Heads & Hooves and veterinary drugs from Veterinary Distributors. LD 8 Percent of beneficiaries borrowing at least once to finance purchase of livestock or other capital investment Of the 207 beneficiaries who accessed credit, 16 (8 percent) borrowed for the purchase of capital investment. Six farmers from Gokwe South MCC were facilitated to each borrow $500 for fodder production and paddock construction from Untu Microfinance. Two of the farmers accessed repeat loans of the same amount to further expand their paddock construction. A seventh farmer borrowed $500 for purchasing a heifer under the Dairy Revitalization Program. The program assisted Kumboedza Dairy Association, a dairy group of nine farmers in Chipinge, to secure a loan from Quest Financial Services to purchase a multi-functional diesel powered chaff cutter worth $4,390. Technical assistance to develop a cost recovery business model for operating and maintaining the machine was provided. The group has since adopted the proposed business systems, and is toll milling for other farmers outside the group. The chaff cutter will enable dairy farmers to process the abundant crop stover available throughout the year from the irrigation scheme for their livestock. EG.3.2-6 Value of Agricultural and Rural loans as a result of USG assistance Making more loans available to smallholder farmers and businesses in rural areas helps expand agricultural production, productivity, markets and trade. The program facilitated $60,597 worth of loans to beef and dairy smallholder producers working with the program. See Table 3.5.3 below for more details. Table 3.5.3 : Value of Agricultural Loans Facilitated by the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program in FY 2016 Number of Farmers Value of Loans Disbursed Region District Male Female Total Male Female Total Kwekwe 8 2 10 $1,745 $516 $2,261 Shurugwi and 32 16 48 $8,262.25 $3,789.75 $12,052 Midlands Chirumhanzu Gokwe 5 2 7 $2,500.00 $1,500.00 $4,000 Gokwe** 7 3 10 $1,470 $3,500 $4,970 Matabeleland Lupane and 54 24 78 $16,681.35 $5,969.65 $22,651 North Nkayi Matabeleland Umzingwane 14 8 22 $3,326 $1,062 $4,388 South Chipinge 14 9 23 $4,038.01 $1,941.31 $5,979.32 Manicaland Chipinge** 6 3 9 $2,864.00 $1,432.00 $4,296.00 Source: Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program **Capital Expenditure

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3.5.3 Access to Markets Meaningful and sustainable commercialization of smallholder farmers occurs when markets are available and farmers can develop the confidence to transact and make profitable sales and incomes. The program is focusing on expanding market access for beef and dairy products from smallholder farmers by facilitating value chain relationships between private sector players and farmers. Participation of smallholder farmers in formal markets improves incomes, competitiveness and adds their voice to global markets. Improvement in access to markets is monitored through two indicators briefly described below: LD 6 Percent of beneficiaries selling at least 80 percent of their milk to formal collection centers The annual target for FY 2016 was 50 percent of beneficiaries selling milk to at least 80 percent formal collection centers. During the year, 40 percent of these beneficiaries sold 80 percent of their milk to formal collection centers. Formal collection centers included MCCs and milk processors such as Dendairy and Kershelmar. The program thrived to strengthen the weak linkages to milk processors and revitalize MCCs to operate at full capacity. Farmers delivering milk to three of the MCCs (Tongogara, Takawira and Umzingwane) faced the challenge of non-payment as the collection centers lacked working capital due to poor business planning; capacity and poor governance. In addition, long distances to the collection centers; lack of chilling facilities at farm gate level; and low production and productivity for economies of scale forced farmers to resort to farm gate sales and informal markets. Quality requirements associated with formal markets in particular total bacterial count deterred smallholder farmers’ participation as they lacked chilling facilities and on-farm infrastructure for meeting the required standards. The program issued an RFP to solicit the services of a private partner to improve marketing of milk from smallholder farmers in Chirumhanzu, Shurugwi, and Umzingwane. The procurement process will be finalized in early FY 2017. LD 7 Percent of beneficiaries selling at least one head of beef cattle annually to formal buyers The program’s message that farmers sell off unproductive cattle as part of herd rationalization was well received by communal smallholder beef farmers. In FY 2016, beneficiaries that sold one head or more of beef cattle were 44 percent compared to 26 percent at baseline. Most sales were made in Chipinge district followed by Shurugwi, Gokwe South, Nkayi, Kwekwe, Umzingwane, Chirumhanzu, and Lupane. While some cattle were inducted through feedlots prior to selling, other beneficiaries sold through auctions and off the rangeland. In total, 11,494 beef cattle belonging to program beneficiaries were sold, injecting a total of $515,928 into the rural economy. Furthermore, the program was successful in linking communal smallholder beef farmers to formal markets. These markets include abattoirs, butcheries, traders, auctions, and institutions such as schools and hospitals. Abattoirs included Koala Park, Sabie Meats, Montana Caswell Meats and Heads & Hooves. Forty-four percent of program beneficiaries sold cattle, of which 68 percent sold to formal markets compared to a target of 50 percent for FY 2016 and baseline of 41 percent. Selling cattle has also helped raise income for paying schools fees and for meeting household food and non-food requirements. To spearhead access to markets for both beef and dairy products, the program promoted the formation of marketing groups across all its focus areas for sustainable market linkages; as a result: • To mitigate market and default risk, feedlot groups were linked to abattoirs (Sabie Meats, Montana Carswell, Koala Park and Heads & Hooves) for offtake of the finished animals using stop order facilities. The stop order arrangement yielded positive results with first time

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borrowers achieving a 100 percent loan repayment rate. In total, $234,377 of gross sales was realized from pen fattening activities among program beneficiaries. • In Chipinge wards 4, 16, and 22 marketing sub-committees at dip tanks were formed and strengthened. The sub-committees have now fostered linkages with abattoirs and they are gradually starting their own group marketing activities such as booking for sales, coordinating and consolidation of animals, processing animal movement permits, cattle identification, arranging for transport and ultimate disbursement of money to individuals after each sale. As a result, in Chipinge, the sale of 390 animals in 16 separate consignments not only generated $148,185 in gross income across the 10 wards but also assisted farmers to rationalize their herds, clear their arrears on cattle levies with the Department of Veterinary Services, and purchase food for their families with some of the proceeds. • In Midlands and Matabeleland North, 2,867 animals with a combined sales value of $1,274,430 were sold direct to abattoirs or through program facilitated cattle auctions. • To mitigate cattle poverty deaths in Chipinge, the program linked farmers to National Foods for more than 520 tons of survival meal worth $145,000. Consequently, an estimated 1,600 cattle were saved from poverty deaths in the district (See Annex 1; page A1 – Seconds from disaster). 3.5.3 Farmer-led Extension Systems Farmer-led extension systems were established in more than 40 centers of excellence and lead farmers were trained on facilitation skills and recordkeeping to enable them to cascade the acquired knowledge and skills on GAHPs and business practices to their peers. In Gokwe South, Sengwa Dairy group is receiving technical assistance from experienced dairy farmers seconded to the group to provide mentorship. The mentors are seasoned members of Gokwe MCC, and this arrangement was initiated by the farmers themselves with the program facilitating the process. In addition, some centers of excellence incorporated the farming as a family business approach where every household member is seen as a key stakeholder. Twenty-year-old Donald Hlomayi in Gokwe South is now actively involved in the family’s dairy enterprise; 27-year-old Tapfumaneyi Munyanyi, son to Isaac Munyanyi hosting one of the program’s centers of excellence in Gokwe is now heavily involved in the family’s dairy business; Priscilla Denhere, 29 years old from Chirumhanzu is actively involved in her family’s dairy business and is now also a member of the local village livestock committee. In Shurugwi, 22-year-old Bernard Machanga participated in the Gwanza feedlot group. Machanga earned $959 from pen feeding sales and purchased two heifers for a total of $700. 3.5.4 Investment EG.3.2-22 Value of new private sector capital investment in the agriculture sector or food chain leveraged by FTF implementation A total of $35,020 was invested into feedlot pens, machinery, cattle loading infrastructure, and high quality dairy stock by farmer groups and MCCs working with the program, surpassing the FY 2016 target by $15,020 (75 percent). The prime mover was Gokwe MCC (Gokwe South), which invested in 22 in-calf heifers valued at $29,600 and $480 for machinery and fencing material. The in-calf heifers were passed on to members of the MCC on a loan basis for rebuilding their dairy herds. The Kumboedza Dairy Group in Chipinge, Manicaland invested $4,390 in a chaff cutter, for processing the abundant crop residues from the surrounding irrigation schemes into stock feed. Pepukai feedlot group in Chipinge invested $50 in the construction of a cattle loading ramp. Evergreen Musapingura feedlot group also in Chipinge invested $500 in repairing and constructing new feedlot pens. On-farm investment in livestock and farm machinery contributed to increased production and productivity. The program encourages beneficiaries to rationalize herds by selling unproductive classes of animals and replacing them with productive classes, mainly heifers and breeding cows. Data from the

Prepared by Fintrac Inc. 40 Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program | Annual Report #1 annual survey indicate that 35 of 321 sampled farmers (11 percent) bought 49 cattle worth $17,001. Productive classes (heifers, breeding cows and bulls) were 53 percent of the total animals bought. Table 3.5.4 Cattle Purchases Disaggregated By Cattle (Beef & Dairy) Classes FY 2016 Number of Cattle Purchases Value of Cattle Purchases Heifers 16 $5,385 Cows 7 $3,250 Bulls 3 $650 Others 23 $7,716 Total 49 $17,001 Source: Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program, Survey Data Farmers used both their own resources and loans to purchase these animals. Rosemary Phebeni of Shurugwi was linked to Aldington farm where she purchased three in-calf dairy red Dane Tuli cross heifers for $3,900. To date, two of the animals have calved down (see Annex 1 page A6). The animals were priced at $1,500 each but via assistance she negotiated the cost down to $1,300. In addition the program linked farmers Viola Chaipa, Milca Chihwande, and Joseph Vahera also from Shurugwi to an auction sale in Gweru and the farmers purchased five Holstein dairy cows for $1,460. Table 3.5.5 Cattle Purchases by District, FY 2016 District # of Cattle Purchases Total Value of Cattle Purchases Chipinge 4 1,391 Chirumhanzu 1 400 Gokwe South 19 6,695 Kwekwe 9 2,610 Nkayi 6 2,355 Shurugwi 7 2,370 Umzingwane 3 1,180 Source: Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program, Survey Data

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In Chipinge, Thinkmore Sithole purchased five heifers using proceeds from the program facilitated direct sale of his four oxen to abattoirs (see Text Box 3.5.1).

Text Box 3.5.1: Direct marketing enables farmer to invest in productive cattle classes Middlemen mainly dominate smallholder livestock marketing in Chipinge, Manicaland, and they typically offer low prices to desperate smallholder farmers seeking to cull their herds. To mitigate this scenario, the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program introduced direct marketing of cattle off the rangeland to destock, rationalize composition, and maintain manageable and sustainable herd sizes. Thinkmore Sithole is one farmer who has benefited from the knowledge acquired through program trainings and the linkage to abattoirs. Previously, he had contemplated selling his four oxen for $1,000. However, after working with the program he learned how to use replenished rangelands to improve the body condition scores of his animals and avoid the cost of supplementary feed required for pen fattening. Once his animals improved, the program linked Sithole and 28 other farmers to Koala Park and Montana Carswell Meats in Masvingo. As a result, the farmers generated more than $16,000 in total sales from 48 animals. Sithole’s gross income from the sale of his four oxen was $2,086, far greater than the amount offered by local buyers. With the money earned, he invested $1,000 in five breeding heifers, and used $500 on home improvement purchases. Sithole now owns two cows, two weaners, and five heifers, which will potentially allow him to increase his herd size by six calves annually. Going forward, if 50 percent of the calves born are male, Sithole will be able to sell at least three cattle every year while still growing his herd size and enabling him to operate on a commercial scale to generate greater income.

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3.6 LOCAL CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

The Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program’s contract includes a component to build the capacity of local organizations to effectively implement USAID-funded agricultural development activities. As such, the program uses Fintrac’s organizational capacity assessment to analyze partner’s leadership; corporate governance; strategic planning; operations, financial, and human resource management; and program and service delivery. Assessments are done on a yearly basis to assess partner’s progress and inform future capacity building activities. The following sections summarize the specific capacity building activities carried out with the program’s partner organizations: 3.6.1 LEAD LEAD is a Zimbabwean organization that implements the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Crop Development program. As this program is closely aligned with the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Program, capacity building for LEAD is an integral part of the program’s capacity building activities. A baseline organizational capacity assessment was done in September, 2015. A second capacity assessment was conducted in October 2016 to determine the progress made by LEAD after the first year of engagement with the program. Results from the capacity assessment found that LEAD’s score improved from 53 to 59 as a result of Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program’s capacity building initiatives. Improvements were noted in governance and leadership; operations and management systems; financial management and human resources areas. The most notable advances pertained to LEAD’s board. The original assessment found irregular meetings and need for more strategic conversations. During the second assessment the program’s capacity building specialist review of LEAD board meeting minutes demonstrated significant progress. Meetings were now held on a quarterly basis, as planned, and more strategic issues are being discussed. The program looks forward to continued progress as this coming quarter Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program has hired a consultant to lead a two day training with the LEAD board and senior management on corporate governance and strategy to further strengthen their leadership and management skills. For more information on LEAD’s capacity building assessment refer to Annex 6. LEAD’s operating manuals, which included procurement and human resources, were reviewed and recommended improvements were provided for implementation. LEAD and the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Crop Development staff received technical assistance on compliance issues related to the EMMP, the Initial Environmental Examination (IEE), Safe Use Action Plan (SUAP) Tracker, and the Pesticide Evaluation Report and Safe Use Action Plan (PERSUAP). To hone technical and operational skills of LEAD staff, the program enabled access to and is encouraging the utilization of Fintrac’s internal online learning platform, the Fintrac University. Current module’s open to all LEAD staff are centered on agricultural extension methods. While current engagement has been low, the program continues to encourage LEAD staff at all levels to increase their utilization of this portal as it provides invaluable information on proven approaches to commercializing smallholder farmers. Once user engagement improves the program will open up more modules such as livestock, agriculture finance, human resources, contracts and grants, and strategic communications, among others. The Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program also carried out an assessment of LEAD’s information technology (IT) and a review of their policies and procedures. Findings were submitted to LEAD’s executive management to strategize future improvements. Currently, the program is working with LEAD to discuss options to transition their timesheets to an online platform.

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Throughout the year, the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program’s technical team continued to provide one-on-one assistance to the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Crop Development teams in gender, communications, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E). The two programs’ M&E teams collaborated on report writing, setting of performance targets, and reviewing baseline data for the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Crop Development program. Assistance was also provided in developing tools for gender analysis; branding and marking; reporting (snapshots, weekly highlights, quarterly and annual reports): photography; scene setters and engaging the media. 3.6.2 ABS-TCM (Pvt) Ltd. The subcontract agreement between Fintrac and ABS-TCM was signed in the second quarter of this fiscal year. A capacity assessment of ABS-TCM was conducted and is pending final approval. Capacity building for ABS-TCM started with an orientation workshop covering gender, finance, communications, and M&E. ABS-TCM staff also learned the program’s strategy to integrate gender and youth across activities. Technical assistance and training on finance highlighted documentation requirements for invoicing to reduce the lead time of invoices. The program also trained ABS-TCM on USAID regulations, procurement requirements, value-added tax reporting, prepayments and accruals (preparation of journal entries and reporting) and internal controls. Training was also provided on the use and requirements for the following finance documents: • Procurement • Travel • Payment requisitions • Internal controls incorporating segregation of duties Six ABS-TCM staff members received training on M&E, gender policy, gender mainstreaming, nutrition, and WASH. Capacity building work also centered on compliance. The program’s DCOP of Finance provided guidance to ABS on completion and filing of company income tax returns with ZIMRA, the tax authority. Compliance issues related to the Office of Foreign Assets Controls were shared and highlighted in relation to procurement. Updated anti-trafficking provisions and proper implementation was discussed and a video explaining the regulation was shared with all staff. 3.6.3 MCCs The program is currently working with four MCCs that provide a market for beneficiaries’ milk. During the period under review three of the MCCs, received 415,598 liters of raw milk from smallholder farmers worth $211,460 (see Table 3.2.1.1 Annex 5). The centers are strategically located to provide bulking up facilities as well as cold chain and value addition options. Farmers own and manage the MCCs, some of which have existed for more than 20 years. Although these MCCs are strategically located to serve their clientele, their performance has been poor. A brief financial analysis of all four MCCs has confirmed they are not currently viable for the following reasons: • Low milk volumes. Farmers lack motivation to deliver milk to MCCs because of past suffering losses due to non-payment on behalf of MCCs for farmer’s milk. • Lack of proper business and corporate governance skills. To address this issue, the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program will continue training dairy associations on good corporate governance, recordkeeping, basic accounting, and budgeting skills. • High transport costs due to long distances between farmers, MCCs and major processors.

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• Lack of proper chilling facilities at centers and at farm level. • Unviable value addition activities, such as processing milk into other products, instead of selling raw milk to reduce overhead costs.

Text Box 3.6.2: Capacity building One of the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program’s objectives is to build the capacity of local organizations to better implement USAID-funded agricultural development activities. In light of this, the program is working to build the capacity of small-scale processor Nhliziyoenhle Mlalazi trading as Riverbank in Umzingwane, Matabeleland. Mlalazi is purchasing milk from program beneficiaries and processing for resale within local markets. Mlalazi entered into an agreement with Umzingwane MCC in June 2016 that allows him to rent the property and process milk. He began working with the program after attending a capacity building training session in August 2016. On engaging with the program, Mlalazi received capacity building trainings to better manage his enterprise. The program assisted Mlalazi in designing and implementing business processes to improve his recordkeeping. Mlalazi received training on income tax registration, completion and submission of quarterly provisional tax returns that he submitted before due date. Riverbank processes an average 700 liters of milk per week. Capacity building trainings helped sensitize Mlalazi to re-evaluate the profitability of his processing enterprise. “I am truly grateful for the support I have received from the program,” Mlalazi said. “I have revised my operations to transact more profitably as a result of the trainings I have received.” Currently, Riverbank is collecting milk from two farmers and paying $0.60 per liter, a highly competitive offer. “Riverbank is paying me $0.60 per liter for an average 500 liters in a week but another processor that I am delivering twice as much milk to is paying me half the price,” said small-scale farmer Seargent Mbuyazwe. Through capacity building trainings, Mlalazi has expanded his product line to include fruit juices to spread his costs and also increase his profit margins. The program’s capacity building component will continuously build the skills of local organizations including farmer groups to ensure optimum implementation of USAID-funded agricultural projects.

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Umzingwane Dairy Association (UDA): The program signed an MOU with Umzingwane Dairy Association to undertake capacity building activities. Initial work included drafting a work plan to address shortfalls identified in the capacity assessment. Employees at UDA were trained in financial reporting, budget preparation, and cash management. Implementation of a code of conduct and drawing up of staff contracts were identified as topics that needed to be addressed immediately. The executive committee was trained on budgeting techniques to assist in making informed business Text Box 3.6.1: Budget analysis results decisions. This included practical analysis of the for Umzingwane MCC association’s cost structure. The process revealed An analysis of the monthly revenue and costs of that it was not viable for UDA to process raw milk the Umzingwane Dairy Association was carried into other products such as sour milk and yogurt out with members based on April 2016 milk (See Annex 5 Text Box 3.6.1). Appropriate advice intake, as part of the capacity building exercise. based on this analysis was given to the management The analysis indicates that the center is generating of UDA. The association needs capacity building a gross profit of $0.32 per liter if it processes raw assistance in the preparation of records of accounts milk into sour milk compared to $0.46 per liter if the milk is sold raw. prior to registering with the Tax Authority Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA). The analysis also shows that the break-even volume for raw milk is 2,561 liters per month The program is exploring ways of assisting UDA compared to 3,681 liters for sour milk. members in Irisvale to procure an additional chiller. The program is also working with Short Spring Farm Pvt Ltd – trading as River Bank in designing and implementing business processes to improve recordkeeping. Riverbank is small-scale milk processing company renting part of UDA’s premises (See Text Box 3.6.2). Training on income tax registration, completion and submission of quarterly provisional tax returns (QPDs) was provided. Short Spring Farm successfully registered for income tax and managed to submit the September 2016 quarterly provisional tax return before due date. In addition, the program assisted the company to obtain a tax clearance certificate valid for 12 months. Shurugwi Dairy Cooperative (SDC): An MOU was signed between Shurugwi Dairy Cooperative and the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program to undertake capacity building activities. The program conducted an organizational capacity assessment and findings and recommendations were made to the management committee for drawing up an action plan. The action plan will guide further engagement with SDC. The program also provided advice and guidance on revising the current constitution in line with the requirements of the Cooperative Societies Act. Amendments to the constitution were made and the draft document is awaiting approval by SDC members at a general meeting. Gokwe Dairy Cooperative Society (GDCS): An MOU was signed between Gokwe Dairy Cooperative Society and the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program to undertake capacity building activities. GDCS has been in existence since the early 1990s and has more established financial systems. The program facilitated an exchange visit by UDA and SDC representatives to Gokwe MCC for the representatives to learn from fellow farmers on how to run and manage a dairy association. The visit addressed financial reporting, financial documentation, policies, and procedure issues. The program assisted the executive committee in amending its constitution to align it with the Cooperative Societies Act. GDCS receives about 12,000 liters of milk per month from its members. About 7,200 liters of the milk received are processed into cultured milk and yogurt, while 4,800 liters are sold as raw milk to processor Dendairy in Kwekwe.

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A brief analysis of the product costing indicates that it is more profitable to sell raw milk. Currently, Dendairy is paying $0.56 per liter, which is a gross marginal income of $0.28 per liter earned. Even though processed products have a higher marginal income of $0.33 per liter, the low volumes make the option unviable. Gokwe Dairy currently maintains manual accounting records. The program assisted the cooperative in the initial implementation of Pastel accounting system. United States African Development Foundation, the donor funding the dairy association’s operations, is requiring that all accounting information be captured in the system, backdated to January 2015. Takawira Dairy Association: An MOU was signed between Takawira Dairy Association and the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program to undertake capacity building activities. Farmers opted to sell individually at farm gate and into local markets after considering the $0.09 gross return of per liter for delivering to Hamaruomba MCC, which is 70 kilometers away, The association received support in designing and implementing the following bookkeeping forms: • Milk/Goods Received Note • Payment Request Form • Milk/Goods Issue Note • Cash Receipt • Invoice The program is working on partnering farmers with a milk processor to set up a processing plant at the MCC.

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4. ENVIRONMENT

This section summarizes the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program’s environmental mitigation and adaptation interventions carried out during FY 2016. The program seeks to enhance environmental stewardship with regular assessments of beneficiary activities, trainings aimed at fostering good environmental care, reduction in environmental damage, and improvements in the personal safety of farmers through safe use of chemicals, protective clothing, and safe disposal of used chemical containers. Commercialization underpins all program activities, and as such the environment strategy focuses on profitable and sustainable agricultural production, which in itself is a key adaptation to any climatic change. In addition, all program activities are based on good animal, agricultural, and business practices that have positive environmental outcomes. All program interventions are screened for compliance with US government and Zimbabwean environmental, agrochemical, and food safety regulations and are designed to have a positive impact on the environment. Specific natural resource management (NRM) related activities in the reporting period included: Feedlot siting. Ensuring safe disposal of animal waste from all feedlots to minimize chances for contamination of water sources is critical to the success of the operation. New feedlots were sited at the stipulated minimum of 30 meters from homesteads and water points to reduce the introduction of house flies and contaminated water. Jabula feedlot in Ward 4 of Hwange district was located on the uphill side of a water source and was less than 30 meters from the water source. Following program advice the feedlot (which was still under construction) was relocated to the downward side of the water source and sited more than 30 meters away. Nemananga feedlot, also in Hwange district, was advised to construct a berm structure to guide waste water from the feedlot away from its water source. PPE. Wearing protective clothing was encouraged for individuals spraying cattle or administering drugs. The PPE trainings in all program areas revealed that most farmers are ignorant of the dangers they expose themselves to by not wearing PPE during application of chemicals such as acaricide to cattle. Fly Control. Flies, which cause diseases like dysentery, are a major problem in places such as overnight pens, feedlots, milking parlors, and calf pens, particularly when they are sited close to homesteads, as is usually the case. The program trained farmers to use simple technologies such as the innovative fly trap to help control the pest. Photo by Fintrac Inc. The simple trap uses a 2-liter plastic container Innovative environmentally-friendly fly trap which is cut and mounted at a strategic position technology. with decomposing matter inside to attract and trap flies. A total of 230 of these no-cost innovative fly traps were set-up throughout the program focus areas. In some instances Pesticide Evaluation Report and Safer Use Action Plan (PERSUAP)-compliant chemicals were used to control flies.

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Waste disposal. In all program areas farmers did not have facilities for incineration, which is used for safe disposal of syringes, chemical containers, dead animals and other bio-hazardous materials. The program trained farmers on the proper disposal of syringes and any glass chemical containers by bashing and battering them and disposing them in separate covered pits with small aperture openings or down pit latrines. Gokwe MCC was assessed, and as a result, the program encouraged the MCC to implement systems that separate organic and chemical waste. Farmers were encouraged to burn dead animals to prevent the spread of diseases, especially in Kwekwe and Chipinge districts where some farmers experienced poverty deaths. Paddocks. Fencing off of grazing areas and planting of fodder trees within paddocks helps reduce overgrazing and deforestation by introducing grazing management and utilization of planted, rather than indigenous trees, for poles and firewood. However, it can only be undertaken in areas where farmers have control of their own land that is not communally owned. In Gokwe and Chirumhanzu, 10 farmers established 28 paddocks in their fields. Tree planting. The program promoted the establishment of fruit and forage trees in all focus areas. Forage trees that were being promoted are mulberry, leucaena, moringa, and cactus, which are adapted to a diverse range of soil and climatic conditions. These trees will provide shade and forage; increase oxygen to animals; act as wind breaks; protect the soil from wind and rain drop erosion; and serve as a habitat and shelter for animals and birds. The twigs that remain after feeding the fodder trees to livestock will be used as firewood, hence reducing pressure for this resource on nearby forests. Nurseries were established at centers of excellence in all focus areas for transplanting during the beginning of the 2016/2017 rainfall season. For example, 22 farmers in Gokwe South and Kwekwe established 513 mulberry cuttings. Mulberry nurseries were also established at centers of excellence in Umzingwane, Shurugwi, and Chipinge. Three hundred mulberry tree cuttings were established in wards 14 and 8 of Nkayi district and 33 cacti plants were planted in Ward 8. Soil Erosion. The program trained 227 farmers on erosion control in all program areas over the past year. Following the good rains received in February 2016, a number of farmers in Gokwe South and Kwekwe experienced soil erosion in some waterways and contours. This prompted the program to give advice on erecting and maintaining contour ridges. Planting of star grass to strengthen the ridges was also encouraged. Rotational overnight pens. Rotational penning was promoted among farmers in Midlands during the rainy season. Farmers were encouraged to have a minimum of two pens for rotation in situations where muddy conditions prevail. This helps reduce the prevalence of foot rot as well as breaking the fly breeding cycle. One of the other challenges contained through this is control of odors emanating from non-rotational use of single pens under muddy conditions. Moveable pens. Training on moveable pens, of the Holistic Livestock and Land Management (HLLM) type, was given to 18 farmers from Takawira Village, Ward 6 in Kwekwe District where one center of excellence host, Rebecca Takawira, has adopted the technology and practices moveable penning technology on her fields to improve soil fertility hence yields. Advice was also given for her to practice moveable penning in the rangeland and plant pastures in order to improve herbage yield in the grasslands for cattle since the area is heavily infested with bush encroachment. 4.1 TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

During FY 2016, the program trained 766 beneficiaries, 35 percent women, on the correct use of PPE, safe use and disposal of pesticides, preferential use of PERSUAP-compliant chemicals, soil conservation, and climate change. As the Table 4.4.4 below shows, more than 40 percent of the total beneficiaries trained in environmental subjects were from Chipinge district, indicating a willingness by farmers to learn from the program that had been instrumental in saving so many of their cattle from starvation.

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Table 4.1.1: Individual Beneficiaries Trained on Environmental Subjects by District FY2016 District Female Male Total % Females Chipinge 100 213 313 32 Chirumhanzu 31 38 69 45 Gokwe South 20 89 109 18 Gweru 3 6 9 33 Hwange 12 9 21 57 Kwekwe 30 62 92 33 Lupane 8 18 26 31 Nkayi 23 6 29 79 Shurugwi 24 44 68 35 Umzingwane 15 15 30 50 Grand Total 266 500 766 35 Source: Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program

Training figures for Gweru are low as the program only started activities in the last quarter. Hwange figures are also low due to lack of a resident field officer and distance from other areas of operation. Table 4.1.2: Beneficiaries Trained on Environmental Subjects FY 2016 District Female Male Total % Female Soil Erosion 83 144 227 37 Safe Disposal of Chemicals 134 317 451 30 PPE 179 232 411 44 Climate Change 13 30 43 30 Source: Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program

More than 60 percent of beneficiaries were trained in safe use and disposal of pesticides and awareness of the requirement to wear PPE when handling chemicals. This training is necessary as government sponsored tick control methods are not always reliable, and dairy farmers in particular prefer to spray their own animals as it eliminates the stress that dairy cows are subjected to when using communal dipping facilities. In addition, farmers have started nutrition gardens where pesticide use becomes necessary. In former cotton growing areas, farmers were trained to use PERSUAP compliant chemicals as a first choice rather than the highly toxic chemicals they were accustomed to. More than 200 farmers received training on soil erosion and methods of mitigating it, such as planting vetiver grass on contours, maintaining contour ridges and packing brushwood or rocks into gullies to slow water down. The ongoing drought situation combined with overstocking has denuded the rangeland of cover, making sheet erosion an environmental threat, especially in Chipinge where vegetation cover is sparse and the soils are fragile. 4.2 EMMP

The program monitors the progress of 42 beneficiary household farms belonging to lead farmers hosting centers of excellence, as well as, 20 farms belonging to other beneficiaries to assess for EMMP compliance. The following sections summarize the findings from the assessments covering the topics on: animal husbandry, animal health, and animal handling facilities.

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Table 4.2.1: Animal Husbandry Activities % Baseline % FY2016 % FY2016 % Baseline Activity Practice- Practice- Practice- Practice- Dairy Beef Beef Dairy Are the breeds adapted to the area? 100% 100% 100% 100% Are handling facilities appropriate and 89% 82% 36% 29% /or adequate? Is soil erosion a problem? 46% 28% 29% 6% Are there signs of land 78% 63% 68% 47% degradation/overgrazing? Are there signs of deforestation? 56% 61% 35% 50% Is grazing management being practiced? 26% 33% 20% 27% Does the farmer have a woodlot/tree 44% 50% 9% 47% planting area?

A combination of the drought in the 2014/2015 season and the further El Niño induced drought in the 2015/2016 season resulted in accelerated degradation of rangelands in all program areas. Most farms (both dairy and beef) reported signs of land degradation and overgrazing compared to the baseline. Degradation of rangeland is also accelerating due to overstocking in most areas as a result of human settlement on former grazing land. For example, village heads in Gokwe South and Kwekwe communal areas have been settling people from outside the districts on grazing lands. This movement of families into new areas is fueling deforestation. There has been a commendable increase in the percentage of farmers with appropriate cattle handling facilities, a necessary intervention in order to implement the GAHPs being promoted by the program. The program is encouraging lead farmers to establish tree nurseries and plant trees such as Leucaena, mulberries, indigenous fodder trees, and drought tolerant fruit trees. This is reflected in the increase in the number of woodlots established by program beneficiaries during the review period. Training and technical assistance has improved the prevalence of erosion control measures on monitored farms. The program is continually encouraging beneficiaries to combat soil erosion through establishing contour ridges, planting star and vetiver grass on the water ways and contour ridges. Although there has been improvement in grazing management on individual farms, efforts still need to be done on controlling land degradation on communally-owned rangelands. The communal grazing system prevalent in most areas complicates efforts as animal movement is difficult, if not impossible, to control. Beneficiary farmers were thus encouraged to harvest and store hay, and nutritious tree pods from the rangeland for use during the dry season. These products are usually in excess during the rainy season. In Chipinge, farmers collected crop stover, hay and sugar cane residues from adjacent estates where materials were abundant Farmers also processed some of these materials to enhance utilization and palatability. While such methods have not impacted the condition of the rangeland in the short term, the practices should reduce pressure in the long-term, if sustained. Table 4.2.2: Animal Health Activities % Baseline % FY2016 % Baseline % FY2016 Activity Practice- Practice- Practice- Practice- Beef Beef Dairy Dairy Farmers using dips/chemical remedies? 100% 100% 94% 100% Farmers/Institutions using appropriate 78% 100% 82% 100% techniques/equipment? Farmers/Institutions with PPEs and use it when 89% 88% 58% 65% spraying?

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Table 4.2.2: Animal Health Activities % Baseline % FY2016 % Baseline % FY2016 Activity Practice- Practice- Practice- Practice- Beef Beef Dairy Dairy Farmers/Institutions having dosing and 30% 56% 35% 44% vaccination records up to date? Farmers/Institutions having mastitis treatment N/A N/A 0% 38% records up to date? Farmers/Institutions engaging a trained 5% 78% 20% 69% applicator? Farmers/Institutions with chemicals/spraying 67% 83% 56% 75% equipment locked and in labelled containers? Farmers/Institutions disposing chemical 76% 100% 65% 100% containers, injections, plastics correctly Farmers/Institutions with adequate and potable 100% 100% 100% 100% water available when pesticides are used? Farmers/Institutions using pesticides that are 83% 100% 82% 100% PERSUAP complaint?

There is a continual improvement in the percentage of farmers owning and using PPE during spraying or dosing animals. This is evident as farmers are now attending trainings in PPE sets. However, affordability is still a challenge resulting in some beneficiaries having incomplete sets. There has also been an improvement in recordkeeping for herd health management programs (mastitis control, use of pesticides, antibiotics, and anthelmintic drugs), a sign of good response to reinforced training messages on the subject. Table 4.2.3: Animal Handling Facilities % Baseline % FY2016 % Baseline % FY2016 Activity Practice- Practice- Practice- Practice- Beef Beef Dairy Dairy Farmers with handling facilities sited >30m 86% 86% 87% 100% from dwellings Farmers/Institutions with water runoff 95% 100% 93% 100% from facilities diverted away from dwellings Farmers/institutes with water source (borehole, well) >30m from livestock 95% 100% 92% 100% facilities Farmers/Institutions with separate access 75% 100% 46% 94% to water for humans and animals Farmers/Institutions with area around 32% 13% 23% 0% water source degraded Farmers/Institutions with running 79% 82% 100% 71% /adequate water in the toilets Farmers/ using fly traps 5% 56% 7% 40% Farmers/Institutions with adequate waste 71% 64% 73% 100% handling facilities in place

Farmers traditionally site cattle pens close to their homesteads to guard against theft, disregarding the health aspects associated with pollution from noise, odor, dung, and waste. The program continues to make progress in sensitizing farmers to these dangers, and improvements are being recorded.

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At all centers of excellence the program introduced innovative fly traps that can be made from empty plastic containers. Farmers have adopted this low to no-cost technology and installed these traps at key points, such as animal handling facilities (overnight pens, milk sheds, and calf pens), household dish washing points, and waste pits. An increasing number of farmers have now implemented the fly trap technology to control flies around their homesteads, particularly those with cattle and goat pens closer to homesteads. The technology has been well received by the majority of farmers as it significantly reduces the problem of flies at a minimum to no cost. As the dry season reaches its peak, increased competition between humans and animals for water resources escalates around water points. The program encouraged beneficiaries to fence off and provide separate drinking points for livestock to avoid drying off of water points and cross contamination. There is improvement in the separation of access to water for humans and animals at homestead level as more farmers have seen the need to construct water troughs for their stock. Farmers with fodder stocks are also feeding cattle at their homesteads to minimize energy expenditure looking for food, and hence farmers have to provide animals with separate watering facilities. The program is using its centers of excellence to showcase proper EMMP practices with the anticipation that other farmers will adopt these good practices. Although EMMP results are encouraging from the centers of excellence; wider adoption among beneficiaries still needs to be determined from a random sample.

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5. GENDER

The Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program, guided by its Gender and Youth Integration Strategy (2015), is assisting rural livestock farmers to improve the quality of their lives. The program encourages families to work together by integrating men, women, and youth into the decision making and management of the family’s livestock business. The program recognizes the potential of women and youth in transforming livestock production despite the persistent cultural, social, and economic obstacles limiting their inclusion. To guide and strengthen its gender programming, the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Text Box 5.1: Group savings spurs Development program developed a Gender and farmer into beef production. Youth Strategy, which was approved in February 2016. The strategy was informed by results from a Merjury Jena, is a 29 year old from Gokwe baseline survey and a field-based gender contextual South, Midlands. She recently joined a savings analysis. group and is thrilled that as a result of her participation she was able to buy a steer for The program is empowering women and youth $270, from her group savings. The group of 10 through trainings; increasing their access to women formed the savings group to generate resources and services in livestock production; and income for themselves. These women currently raising gender awareness to provide equitable contribute $20 each per month, which is given opportunities and vibrant enterprises in livestock to one group member at a time in rotation. According to Jena, participating in the Feed the production. Empowered women and youth farmers Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development in the program have been successful and have program made it possible for her to think big, proved that they can become solutions to poverty and now she owns her own steer. She plans to alleviation (see Text Box 5.1). During the review commit her steer for the next feedlot cycle as period, the program trained and gave technical she enters into commercial beef production. assistance to 3,276 farmers, of which 42 percent were women and 7.5 percent youth.16 In addition, program and partner staff received training and technical assistance on gender concepts; gender mainstreaming; gender and youth inclusion; and women and youth empowerment from the program’s gender specialist. All field staff received at least one gender technical support field visit in each quarter. A gender policy audit and two gender training sessions were conducted with partner ABS- TCM. The program collaborated with district stakeholders including DLPD officers, Ministry of Women Affairs Development officers, Ministry of Youth officers and AGRITEX officers. District stakeholders participated, complimented and supported the program’s work on gender in all focus areas. Program field and partner staff were introduced to the use of various participatory learning approaches in mainstreaming gender messages, including role plays and dramas. Officers were also provided and introduced to visual aids to stimulate dialogue and share experiences. Traditional and cultural ideas on gender roles in livestock production often constrain women and youth to own cattle, and their subsequent participation in decision making and access to services and resources. The program made progress by engaging community leaders and men to increase their gender awareness and encourage participation of women and youth in productive livestock activities. Engaging the community and men was achieved through the program’s inception meetings in all targeted wards; promoting farming as a family business which actively encourages participation of all members of

16 Aged 29 years and below.

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the family in the livestock enterprise; identification of male gender champions to spearhead gender and social inclusion messages17; and collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development officers in the operational wards. Program beneficiary Christine Maguya, a widow in Ward 22 Chipinge, is among the first five farmers interested in pioneering AI in beef cattle. She has mobilized resources needed for her heifer to be inseminated, becoming one example demystifying the cultural norm that women play a secondary role in livestock production. 5.1 GENDER MAINSTREAMING

The Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program’s gender objective focuses on inclusion of women and youth in all program activities and women’s leadership to improve gender equality and empowerment. Topics emphasized to hone in gender equality included women and youth empowerment; gender-based violence (GBV); and farming as a family business. Gender was mainstreamed in all livestock technical training activities. Trainings were conducted near homesteads and centers of excellence to encourage women and youth participation. A gender worksheet was developed during the second quarter to ensure increased gender awareness among beneficiary farmers. The worksheet produced monthly, contained topical issues to guide and standardize gender messaging across all program areas. Topics discussed empowered women and youth, and highlighted the subsequent economic and nutritional benefits to the whole family. Table 5.1 summarizes the monthly gender activities, topics and messages shared with farmers using the gender worksheet: Table 5.1 Monthly Gender Activities, Topics, and Messages in FY 2016

Month Gender Topic Gender Messages Outcomes

All 27 FTFZ-LD program staff were sensitized on 16 Days of End violence against women in what GBV was during the inaugural team meeting Nov-15 Activism livestock production. in November 2015. This prepared the staff for their field work Program incorporated HIV and nutrition HIV and nutrition for healthy messages in training and technical assistance Dec-15 World AIDS day livestock farmers. sessions. During the period 76 farmers were reached Promoted small livestock among beneficiaries as a drought mitigation measure. Two groups in Chipinge and Gokwe South with a total Gender Issues in Women are important agents of Jan-16 membership of 23 women started raising Drought change in drought mitigation indigenous chickens and Precious Makuyana of Chipinge who is also a youthful farmer now has 32 goats.

17 Three male farmers are now working with the program in Gokwe South, Kwekwe and Chipinge on voluntary basis as gender and social inclusion champions. The program will continue to identify and train more male advocates.

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Table 5.1 Monthly Gender Activities, Topics, and Messages in FY 2016

Month Gender Topic Gender Messages Outcomes

A compendium of traditional barriers to women participation in livestock was compiled and formed the basis for awareness discussions during technical trainings. This compendium is continuously updated. Strategies for using 'mombe dzeumai' as entry points into productive livestock farming by women were discussed. In addition, mentoring the family's young males Gender Issues in through early assignment of dowry / bride cattle Women and youth ownership of Feb-16 livestock was mooted. Examples include one dairy farmer cattle increases household benefits. ownership in Gokwe South, Esau Hlomayi, assigned a dairy cow to his grandson who has been helping on the farm. In Chipinge a polygamous beneficiary, Langton Muridzo, gave his two wives cows as appreciation of their work and as a way of empowering them. The elder wife Ester Chamusi is participating in the 2016 pen fattening program using the donated beast hoping to reinvest the proceeds in younger productive cattle. The program focused all our weekly highlights for the month of March 2016 chronicling and celebration women achievers in livestock. Program deliberately targeted to increase women as hosts of centers of excellence. Currently 47 percent of the program's lead farmers are women. The program worked to empower women farmers in livestock through exposing them to new skills and technologies. International Celebrating female achievers in Some of the stories on women empowerment Mar-16 Women’s Day livestock production. shared as testimonies during technical training sessions and captured as weekly highlights for March-April 2016 included, Getrude Mashandudze from Ngondoma Kwekwe excelling in pen fattening, Sara Ndodha of Chirumanzi shared expertise on skills of record keeping; Eliza Mubonesi from Chipinge on nutrition gardens and Doris Mabaso a widow from Chipinge show cased women taking the lead in direct sales of cattle to abattoirs. Empowered women improve Program deliberately targeted to increase households: women as hosts of centers of excellence. Women Currently 47 percent of the program's lead • Messages and discussions on Apr-16 empowerment in farmers are women. The program is working to empowering women and youth in livestock empower women farmers in livestock through livestock provoked farmers to exposing them to new skills and technologies. realize the practical need for

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Table 5.1 Monthly Gender Activities, Topics, and Messages in FY 2016

Month Gender Topic Gender Messages Outcomes

empowerment to reduce poverty at household level.

• Empowerment of women and youth through leadership training was noted as necessary to build their confidence to take leadership positions. GBV reduces incomes and productivity in livestock production:

• This topic exposed the social and GBV trainings were conducted with beneficiary economic ills of GBV and its farmers. Visual training aids depicting incidences adverse effects on farm production of GBV and abuse were used at sessions to and related health expenses. stimulate discussions. Sessions focused on awareness building and on exploring ways of • Findings from discussions dealing with GBV in the community. The farmers highlighted that domestic violence identified domestic violence as being most was most common, followed by Gender Based prevalent among the farmers. Two hundred and May-16 early (underage or child) marriages. Violence twelve farmers of which 67 percent were • There is a need to increase women participated in the GBV trainings for the awareness of laws and services month of May 2016. The farmers resolved to available around GBV as farmers continuously open spaces for dialogue on GBV generally exhibited low levels of and report cases to relevant authorities. The knowledge. program works in collaboration with stakeholders and continues to provide trainings and information on GBV to beneficiary farmers.

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Table 5.1 Monthly Gender Activities, Topics, and Messages in FY 2016

Month Gender Topic Gender Messages Outcomes

More female involvement improves The ‘’Musha Mukadzi” concept was a message production, incomes and nutrition. used to draw attention to the important roles women play in households and the support • Through discussions on the needed from males as partners to ensure theme of ‘Musha Mukadzi’ improved household welfare, nutrition and concept, farmers realized the hygiene outcomes. In a two pronged approach important role females play in the message was used for male engagement and Farming as a family the household. also used to send technical messages to assist Jun-16 business theme • The importance of cows in farmers in streamlining and rationalizing their “Musha Mukadzi” increasing herd sizes was also herds, by promoting more cows to increase herd emphasized. size. The message was mainstreamed in project • Findings indicate the need for technical activities for the month of June 2016 continuous gender awareness and two hundred farmers, 33 percent women, and male engagement at the were trained. household level to increase the decision making capacity of women. Offering youth new opportunities in livestock farming: The program promotes youth inclusion and creates opportunities for participation of youths • Through discussions, farmers in productive activity of livestock production. In realized they can include youth ongoing efforts to encourage youth participation in activities such as record and improve their skills, the program targeted keeping, and attending technical and mobilized herd-boys and girls for trainings to trainings as they are often the improve their capacity in livestock production. herders of cattle Jul-16 & The following were reached in the month of July Youth Inclusion • Ownership of cattle among Aug -16 and August 2016, In Chipinge, Manicaland, the youth can be started at an early program trained 22 herd boys (19) and girls (3) stage when household heads on general cattle management, In Kwekwe, pass on cattle to their children. Midlands, 10 young farmers were trained and • Findings indicate the need for convened to form Kuridzangoma Youth Group continuous gender awareness to venture into pen fattening. Skumbi Davison and male engagement at the Ncube of Hwange was also trained in animal household level to increase the dosing. decision making capacity of women and youth

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Table 5.1 Monthly Gender Activities, Topics, and Messages in FY 2016

Month Gender Topic Gender Messages Outcomes

Considering that women and children provide the bulk of labor on most farms, they are exposed to chemicals used in protecting crops and livestock, the program focuses on trainings Gender Issues in on proper handling, use and storage of chemicals Gender safety in handling farm Safe use of Drugs to all beneficiaries. This is an ongoing process in Sep-16 pesticides, fertilizers and livestock and Chemicals on the program’s technical trainings. The month of drugs and chemicals. the farm September 2016 was dedicated to convey this message with special target to women and youth beneficiaries. Eighty farmers, 50 percent females, received training and technical assistance during the month of September 2016.

5.1.1. Gender and Youth Inclusion Awareness The main focus during the year was on women and youth empowerment, leadership and meaningful involvement in livestock production. Steady progress was made in raising awareness on gender and youth inclusion in livestock production. Program staff commemorated 16 days of activism, World AIDS Day and International Women’s Day with beneficiary farmers. Female achievers in livestock production were celebrated and observed during the month of April 2016 to mark International Women’s Day and information on the adverse effects of gender based violence (GBV) and HIV and AIDS was disseminated and discussed with farmers. The month of May 2016 was dedicated to increasing awareness of GBV among program beneficiaries. The program provided a platform for beneficiary farmers to learn about and share GBV experiences. Discussions revealed that in Zimbabwe most GBV is directed toward women, and 68 percent of women in Zimbabwe have suffered GBV at the hands of men18. Although women provide the bulk of labor in agricultural fields and attending to livestock, men often tend to control the proceeds after selling livestock and produce. GBV is often triggered by unequal and unfair access to resources or distribution of earned incomes from cattle and crop sales. GBV trainings and messages were mainstreamed in all technical sessions conducted with beneficiary farmers in all our areas of operation for the month of May 2016. Two hundred and twelve farmers received training and technical assistance from the program and of these 67 percent were women. Discussions with beneficiary farmers revealed that GBV was rampant, yet it remains shrouded in a culture of silence. Violence against women remains a challenge and is sustained by prevailing negative sociocultural practices, attitudes, values, norms, and beliefs as well as weak implementation of laws and policies. Most women, men, and community leaders are unaware of new laws enacted to address GBV, and support services created to help people affected. Other forms of GBV in the communities included early marriages, sexual abuse of children, and abuse of elders.

18 Ministry of Women’s Affairs Gender and Community Development Violence Against Women Baseline Study (2013)

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The program works in collaboration with stakeholders such as Ministry of Women Affairs and Gender Development and other institutions focusing on increasing awareness on GBV and available laws and support structures such as the victim friendly units at every police station, to create networks for disseminating information to beneficiary farmers. The program is actively working in collaboration with ward coordinating officers from Ministry of Women Affairs and Gender Development in increasing gender awareness among beneficiaries. To address GBV issues, the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program is working and collaborating with other institutions that focus on GBV to increase awareness and provide information on available support structures and services within communities. The program also continues to train stakeholders and field staff on mitigating GBV. The Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program’s focus on treating farming as a family business has gained some ground in mitigating GBV by increasing gender awareness and empowering husbands and wives in livestock production. The program continues to deliberately target, encourage, and select women beneficiaries to be lead farmers and to host the centers of excellence. Training and sensitization on GBV among program beneficiaries will continue throughout the life of the program.

Below are some of the gender and youth inclusion activities and successes the program embarked on during the review period:

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Photo by Fintrac Photo by Fintrac Women in AI, Gokwe South: Rhoda Thebe helps to Women and Technology, Chirumhanzu: Cattle restrain an animal during AI. handling facilities constructed at Sarah Ndodha’s homestead.

Photo by Fintrac Photo by Fintrac Women in Dairy Farming, Shurugwi: Milca Women’s access to loans, Lupane: Samukeliso Chihwande culled two old steers and purchased a dairy Sibanda earned $2,123 in new income from three animals cow. Her cow now yields 11 liters per day up from 2 after accessing a loan. liters only when it was bought.

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Photo by Fintrac Photo by Fintrac Gender and Technology in Chipinge: Gender and WASH in Chipinge: Grace Kandlela and her family Women restraining an animal using a nose tong. now have access to proper sanitation.

Photo by Fintrac Photo by Fintrac Youth inclusion in Hwange: Sixteen-year-old Gender and Nutrition in Chipinge: Eliza Mubonesi Stanislaus Dube doses a calf from his father’s herd established a nutrition garden at her homestead after receiving with assistance from program officers. nutrition trainings.

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5.2 GENDER TRAININGS

The program trained beneficiaries on four broad gender topics: gender mainstreaming; women and youth empowerment; gender concepts; and leadership and conflict resolution. A total of 1,434 farmers, 40 percent women, participated in the women and youth empowerment training. Table 5.2: Gender and Youth Training by Subject FY 2016 Training Subject Female Male Total % Women Gender Mainstreaming 35 56 91 38 Women and Youth Empowerment 578 856 1,434 40 Gender Concepts 418 474 892 47 Leadership and Conflict Resolution 85 149 234 36 Source: CIRIS The lead farmer approach; the introduction of the gender worksheet in the second quarter; and deliberately selecting women to host centers of excellence assisted in mobilizing more neighboring female livestock farmers to attend livestock activities normally perceived as a male domain. The program also stepped up emphasis on documentation of participants and activities, to improve on capturing all activities.

5.3 MEASURING GENDER IMPACT AND WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT

Compared to men, women and youth farmers struggle to access the necessary services and resources for livestock production, which limits their success in this sector. By helping women and youth to increase access to and control over inputs, the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program is working to increase productivity and position women and youth for a more positive future in the livestock sector. Since inception in June 2015, 1,376 women, or 42 percent of the 3,276 smallholder beef and dairy farmers working with the program, have benefited from training and technical assistance; linkages to credit, inputs, and markets; and access to new technologies. Forty percent of the 3,031 adopters of new technologies and management practices were women, yet they make 42 percent of the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program beneficiaries. The program has set the LOP target of at least 50 percent of beneficiaries being women. Ongoing staff training and gender awareness sensitization will assist the program in realizing this target. The campaigns aim to change cultural and traditional beliefs regarding women’s ownership and control of cattle.

5.4 LEADERSHIP

GNDR3: Percent of female program beneficiaries in relevant leadership positions The Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program aims to strengthen female leadership in the livestock sector to create sustainable networks of female farmers. Through training and increasing gender awareness among community leaders and beneficiary farmers, the program attained its first year target of women occupying 40 percent of leadership positions in community-based organizations working with the program. Female clients are either lead farmers hosting centers of excellence or office bearers within farmer groups (MCCs, pen fattening groups, and producer associations). Further, women are now being elected as executive members in a number of cattle production committees, and as lead farmers. Women elected as chairpersons this first year include Flomina Mpala of Jabula feedlot in Ward 4 of Hwange district and Rosemary Phebeni of Shurugwi Dairy Cooperative in Shurugwi. In Chipinge, a drought mitigation committee established to coordinate the collection of cane residues from ARDA Rating Middle Sabi Estate includes representation of women and youth. Sunungurai Gadha was elected as chairperson, and out of the seven committee members, four are female. In

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addition, three grass roots dairy producer group management committees (Simukai, Bambanani, and Batanai) in were established with 36 percent women and youth membership. 5.5 ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY, FINANCE, CREDIT, AND MARKETS

Technical assistance and training focused on providing skills to women and youth to engage and productively contribute to beef and dairy production.

5.5.1 Access to Technology The program identifies and promotes affordable women and youth friendly technologies that save on labor and increase participation and productivity in livestock, such as: • Nose tongs. This device makes it easier for women and youth to handle cattle while administering medication, weighing cattle, and doing other work. • Cattle races. These are constructed at cattle housing structures and feedlots to ease cattle handling. • Brush cutters. The device allows women and youth to participate in cutting grass for hay as it is light to handle Photo by Fintrac and a large area can be covered in a short period of Roseline Chiweshe used a brush time. cutter to cut 100 bales of hay weighing an average 15 kilograms Based on the end-of-year survey results, a total of 3,031 farmers each. under the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program had applied improved technologies and management practices to their beef and dairy enterprises. Survey results show an adoption rate of 92.5 percent. There was 100 percent adoption rate by both small-scale commercial dairy and communal dairy farmers. For communal beef farmers, the adoption rate was at 90.6 percent. Forty percent of adopters of technologies were women, yet they make up 42 percent of the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program beneficiaries. 5.5.2 Access to Finance and Credit The program worked with Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs), such as Untu, Quest Financial Services and Inclusive, to increase farmers’ access to finance and credit. Credit facilities were availed to farmers for feedlots, paddock construction in Gokwe South and for dairy revitalization to purchase heifers in Gokwe South. The program assisted 207 beneficiary farmers to access loans worth $60, 597 from MFIs collaborating with the program and 32 percent of the borrowers were women (See Table 3.5.3). 5.5.3 Access to Markets The program linked farmers throughout the year to improved markets. Farmers were linked to Montana Carswell, Koala Park, Heads & Hooves, and Sabie Meats. Twenty-five percent of 344 farmers, who participated in program assisted feedlots during the review period, were women (Annex 5 Table 3.2.2.2). Twenty-three percent of farmers who sold cattle direct from the rangeland in Chipinge, Chirumhanzu, and Shurugwi were women (Annex 5 Table 3.2.2.1). 5.6 STRENGTHENING WOMEN AND YOUTH THROUGH GROUPS

The Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program’s field-based gender assessment revealed that female clients are involved in microenterprises and income generation activities, such as gardening, casual work, Internal Savings and Lendings (ISALs), and informal trading. Since many of these

Prepared by Fintrac Inc. 64 Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program | Annual Report #1 women and youth are already investing in small livestock and poultry, the program is building on this initiative by promoting finance opportunities, building personal herds, and strengthening their influences. The program is providing training on financial and business skills to four groups involved in income generation activities (Table 5.6). The program encourages these groups to tap into their own resources and incomes as their starting point to building capital assets and ownership of cattle. Group members have been able to mobilize finances from ISALs for individual and group activities such as poultry, goat rearing, and gardens as a build up to eventually cattle ownership. Key highlights of achievements include Lucia Zvidai from Gokwe South who invested money from ISALs to deposit a dairy cow from Gokwe MCC, The Maketo group also from Gokwe are investing in building toilets and kitchens for the 10member group. In Kwekwe Jane Pintu of the Kubudira group is investing her savings from ISALs into a beef buying and selling enterprise. In Chirumanzu the Ndodha group was able to purchase drugs for dosing their cattle collectively as a group. Table 5.6.1 Women and Youth Groups Working with the Program Number of Group Area Activity Members Kumboedza Women Group Chipinge 13 Indigenous Chicken Production, Umzingwane Group Umzingwane 10 Rabbit Rearing Maketo Group Gokwe 12 ISALS, (building toilets and cattle) Source: Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program

Women beneficiary farmers from Manzvire village in Ward 21Chipinge District were facilitated by the program to form Kumboedza Women Group, with 13 members to mitigate drought and build the members’ capital base. The group is rearing indigenous chickens, and starting with two each they now collectively have 100 chickens. The group is receiving technical support from the program and will grow from chickens to goats and eventually cattle.

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6. LESSONS LEARNED

The program continued to assess the ideal methods, location, and beneficiaries to implement its activities, and as a result will take lessons learned into consideration for FY 2017: • Rearing of cattle in most focus areas is traditionally a male domain. The program is continuing to design women and youth-friendly activities to maximize their involvement in livestock production. The program has encouraged women to host centers of excellence and participate in pen fattening and technical training programs. The promotion of livestock as a family business encourages participation of women and youth. • Social norms also constrain the full participation of women in training and technical sessions as women often have to leave early to attend to their domestic tasks. In response, the program has designed its training and technical sessions to be held at convenient times, last no more than two hours, and in close proximity to farmer homesteads. • Quick response on nutrition and WASH is experienced when the whole family is involved in trainings and technical visits and on the ground monitoring yielded positive behavior changes. • Awareness and promotion of locally available sources of food is an easy way of increasing household dietary diversity. • Creating opportunities for smallholder farmers to earn extra income motivates adoption of GAHPs that improve productivity and market performance. • Credit availability stimulates adoption of new technologies, such as pen fattening, paddocking, improved genetics, and upgrading watering and milking systems. The Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program will continue to work with MFIs and banks to harness credit lines for short, medium, and long-term loans appropriate to smallholder beef and dairy farmers. • Use of non-traditional feed sources such as acacia pods, proved to be a cost cutting measure in both dairy and beef sectors. This has culminated in the crafting of low-cost dairy, survival, maintenance, and feedlot models in program areas. • Organized farmers gain bargaining power to negotiate to their advantage. In all target areas the use of farmer groups enabled beneficiaries to enjoy subsidized or zero transport cost. National Foods, who supplied pen fattening feed for most of the feedlots in the Midlands and Manicaland, provided free transport. Heads & Hooves and Sabie Meats in Bulawayo and Manicaland respectively provided free or subsidized transport for cattle to their abattoirs. • Middlemen in beef value chains are part of a complex network of critical stakeholders. Successful market linkages are dependent on full appreciation of these complex relations. • The program’s center of excellence approach enhances the dissemination of livestock-related technologies and GAHPs and monitoring of adoption. This approach also provides contact points for effective market linkages. • Many smallholder farmers desire to generate higher incomes from their livestock but often fail to identify and utilize available opportunities, and therefore require assistance in understanding markets to take advantage of available opportunities. • Cattle marketing during lucrative market windows promote rationalization of smallholder herds to achieve higher productivity. Smallholder farmers are generally unaware of alternative livestock marketing options to link directly with formal buyers. • Improved marketing options also motivate farmers to participate more in drought mitigation interventions to save their cattle. Drought mitigation and market linkage interventions complement each other.

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• Stop order facilities should always be in place when dealing with formal buyers to ensure high repayment rates. • Relationship building between neighboring smallholder and large-scale farmers is key in promoting synergy. For example the management of sugar cane waste at ARDA Rating versus the need of agricultural by-products by the smallholder farmers to feed livestock. An increased number of farmers are now prepared to improve their breeds to include traits that provide advantages on marketing. However, the uptake and success of efforts in use of improved breeds through AI depends on the history of performance of past AI programs and such perceptions should be adequately addressed in trainings. • CIDR- Cidirol Estrumate Fixed Time AI Protocol is suitable for the smallholder beef and dairy production system as it is extremely reliable; mitigates the main problem farmers have of detecting heat (which usually occurs at night); and allows technicians to predict exactly when the animal will come on heat. Thus, logistics of providing the service become manageable and cost effective. • Smallholder farmers generally abdicate their livestock health care to DVS. In the event that DVS has no resources, the health of their livestock is threatened and in some instances farmers lose their animals to simple health problems (tick control). Furthermore, local service providers and agro dealers charge exorbitant prices, discouraging farmer initiatives for the healthcare of their animals. Trainings on nutrition and proper care for livestock and market linkages have decreased this issue. • MCCs have fallen into the dependency syndrome, with many unable to be self-sufficient. To alter their fortunes, these centers need to operate as business entities that generate income to meet their running costs and generate revenue to derive an operating profit. The program is pursuing marketing alternatives while also building the capacity of MCCs to address governance issues that hinder viability. • The beef-dairy concept provides a “soft landing” for aspiring dairy farmers as the capital outlay is minimal. It encourages milk production from beef herds to not only meet household nutritional needs, but also provide a potential source of income as surpluses are sold initially into the local market and eventually into formal markets.

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7. CHALLENGES

As lessons were learned, challenges also became apparent: • Food insecurity as a result of recurrent droughts result in farmers prioritizing short-term food aid programs, as opposed to long-term livestock initiatives and technologies. The program is collaborating with aid agencies embarking on food for assets programs, which positively impact livestock production and productivity. In Chipinge the program collaborated with the ENSURE program to ensure the food for assets activities focused on livestock enhancing assets such as watering points; cattle handling facilities and dip tank rehabilitation. • The El Nino induced drought negatively impacted program implementation as it affected fodder production, AI programs, quality and quantity of cattle for direct marketing, cost of feed lots, nutrition interventions, and women and youth involvement. The program is implementing drought mitigation strategies, which include planting of drought tolerant crops, fodder and fruit trees; collection or utilizing non-traditional fodder sources (acacia pods); herd rationalization; focus on small stock; linking farmers to markets and utilization of locally available foods. • The outbreak of foot and mouth disease across all program focus areas affected livestock marketing efforts as cattle movement was restricted to direct slaughters only in Chipinge; Shurugwi; Chirumanzu; Kwekwe; Nkayi and Lupane districts and total banning on all cattle movements in Hwange and Gokwe South. To date, some areas are still under restriction. These restrictions increased dipping costs for farmers as farmers resorted to on-farm tick control; purchase of cattle for breeding across districts was severely restricted and auction sales were banned in Hwange; Umzingwane and parts of Lupane district. • Agro dealers in communal areas are poorly stocked in terms of livestock inputs making it difficult for farmers to easily adopt some of the technical advice given by the program. When stock is available the prices are exorbitant. The program worked with agro-input suppliers to participate regularly during farmers’ meeting at centers of excellence to avail their inputs and products. • Traditional norms and culture continue to limit the participation of women and youth in commercial livestock production. Cattle registration and ownership in most cases remain in the domain of males. • The program is encouraging the registration of cattle as a family asset and parents to pass on foundation cattle to their children to promote early ownership and sustainable and active participation of youths in commercial livestock production. • In Matabeleland North toilet construction is still not a priority among most beneficiaries due to previous donor programs which financed the construction. The program is teaching beneficiaries about the link of high incidences of cattle measles detected at slaughter and the resultant condemnation of the carcasses to highlight the importance of toilets and prompt beneficiaries to erect toilets on their own. • Unavailability of drinking water for cattle affects productivity, sometimes being the main contributor to cattle deaths and low productivity of dairy herds. Few perennial rivers exist in most program areas and cattle are watered at communal deep wells and boreholes, often in competition with humans. • Poor nutrition compounded by lack of bulls in some program areas results in long calving intervals, especially among smallholder dairy herds. The use of inferior bulls and inbreeding in production systems has resulted in inferior animals that produce less milk and meat. The program is using AI to reduce the calving interval and upgrade the genetic composition of the

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herds, as well as, encouraging farmers to properly stock adequate feed for the productive classes of cattle. • Governance issues undermine the proper functioning of most MCCs in the focus areas. The program is exploring alternative markets that suit the smallholder dairy sector. • Lack of coordination and consistency among government departments involved in livestock issues presented challenges in program implementation (securing permits and clearing animals). Shifting schedules and timelines within DVS hindered easy access to permits as per prior agreements between the program and DVS at the time of marketing. 8. CONCLUSION

After 15 months of implementation, the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program is on course to meet its main objectives. A summary of all performance indicators against PMP targets is shown in Annex 2. Results against the Feed the Future indicators with a variance of +/- 10 percent are described below. The Feed the Future Monitoring System (FTFMS) on all the performance indicators will be completed and submitted separately. • EG. 3-1 Number of households benefiting directly from USG assistance under FTF - The target was to reach 1,250 households, 750 beef and 500 dairy. A total of 2,883 households (3,276 farmers) benefited from program interventions during the review period (June 2015 – September 2016), surpassing its overall FY 2016 target by 131 percent. Beef farmers constitute 78 percent of the total number of beneficiaries while 22 percent focus on dairy production. The program has been very active in fostering viable markets for beef farmers, who prior to program interventions, received meager income returns for their cattle. In addition, the program timely introduced relevant drought mitigating interventions that were low or no-cost to salvage both beef and dairy farmer herds from poverty deaths. • EG.3.2 -19 Value of smallholder incremental sales generated with USG assistance - The FY 2016 target was for actual sales of $0.31 million. The result was $1.02 million from both beef and dairy sales. Beef sales were $0.52 million and dairy sales were $0.50 million. Incremental sales for FY 2016 were $0.58 million against a target of $0.038 million. The exceptional results in sales increase are mainly attributable to the program exploring and linking farmers with new alternative marketing options for their beef animals and raw milk, in most instances paying higher prices and higher returns. Specific interventions contributing to these increased sales included: o Rolling out the beef-dairy concept in all targeted dairy areas of Gokwe South, Chirumhanzu, Shurugwi, and Umzingwane. This helped increase the milking herd in addition to the benefits from training and technical assistance on GAHPs offered by the program. o Capacity building the MCCs in areas of budgeting, preparation of records of accounts, cash flow analysis and governance helped improve operations. This in turn helped restore farmer confidence to deliver milk to the MCCs. o Expanding the marketing of milk to formal and informal markets. The program developed a milk production and sales tracker to capture all farm-gate sales of milk. Based on beneficiaries who have participated in this recordkeeping, a total of 22,435 liters worth $10,876 were sold at farm gate and through informal markets by farmers in Shurugwi, Chirumhanzu, and Gokwe South. o Growing the producer base for Gokwe Dairy Co-operative Society to increase total volumes delivered to the MCC, hence increasing the viability of the MCC.

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o Group marketing training, GAHPs training and technical assistance by the program resulted in an improvement in milk productivity, beef and milk sales to both formal and informal markets. o Marketing cattle directly to meat processors off the rangeland in Chirumhanzu, Chipinge, and Shurugwi. A total of 296 beneficiaries (64 women and 232 men) sold 494 cattle worth $192,404 to abattoirs in Chiredzi, Bulawayo, Kwekwe, and Masvingo during the review period. Farmers also took heed of the program advice to destock with the impending El Nino induced drought. February recorded a high level of sales as a result of panic selling because at that time rainfall levels were minimal and the rangeland had severely deteriorated. o The program assisted smallholder beef farmers in Chirumhanzu, Chipinge, Gokwe South, Shurugwi, Umzingwane, Nkayi, Lupane, and Kwekwe districts with training and technical assistance in pen fattening. Pen fattening activities were undertaken to coincide with favorable pricing regimes in the market as off-peak prices tend to narrow the gross margin. The target marketing period for pen-fed cattle is mid-December when beef prices are expected to be at peak because of demand during the festive season versus a low supply of good quality animals after the dry season (September-early December). Beef prices during this period peaked at $4.20 per kilogram for super grade in December 2015. Program- supervised feedlots sold 480 pen-fattened animals valued at $234,377 to formal buyers. o Promoting and facilitating resumption of cattle auctions in Lupane and Nkayi through private auctioneers and the rural district councils. The auctions injected more than $1.2 million in the two districts during the review period. • EG.3-6,7,8 – Farmer’s gross margin per animal o Beef – On average beef farmers achieved gross margins of $28.63 compared to FY 2016 target of $27.00. The program facilitated the resumption of cattle sales through private auctions, rural district council auctions, direct marketing to processors giving the farmer an alternative to the middlemen. The process resulted in competition and good returns for beef farmers. Value addition through group marketing and pen fattening also helped in increasing returns. o Dairy – On average dairy farmers achieved a gross margin per animal of $170.27 compared to the FY 2016 target of $125. The exceptional performance of 36.2 percent above target is due to: o MCCs linked to large processors which improved returns as MCCs sold raw milk instead of processing. o The program showcasing, providing training and technical assistance in good animal husbandry practices. o The use of low to no-cost fodder and fodder flow planning; maintaining herd health; and proper feeding contributed to increase in milk yields and quality across program areas. Average milk yield per cow per day across program beneficiaries was 5.72 liters compared to a target of 4.30 liters. • EG.3.2-17 - Number of farmers and others who have applied improved technologies or management practices as a result of USG assistance. The FY 2016 target was 715 beneficiaries applying improved GAHPs or management practices. Based on the AHS, a total of 3,031 farmers under the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program applied improved technologies and management practices to their beef and dairy enterprises. Survey results show an adoption rate of 92.5 percent. There was 100 percent adoption rate by both small-scale commercial dairy and communal dairy farmers. For communal beef farmers, the adoption rate was at 90.6 percent. Average milk yields increased significantly from 2.61 liters per cow per day at baseline to 5.72 liters. The high uptake rates of GAPs and GAHPs were around

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the centers of excellence where demonstrations were established and managed in conjunction with lead farmers in order to promote these technologies. Demonstrations allowed for hands on learning and improved uptake of GAPs and GAHPs. The use of lead farmer herds and plots as demonstration sites (centers of excellence) that are well dispersed within communities also increases GAPs and GAHPs uptake within the vicinity of each lead farmer. The centers of excellence also provide a platform for agribusinesses (service providers, input suppliers, financiers and buyers) to meet with farmers to transact. In addition, the high uptake was mainly because the program introduced technologies that were low or no-cost but effective in salvaging the farmers’ beef and dairy herds from the impending drought. Linkages to markets were introduced, which now placed a high value to beneficiary cattle. • EG.3.2-1: Number of individuals who have received USG supported short-term agricultural sector productivity or food security training. The program achieved 3,276 farmers against a target of 1,440 beneficiaries. This overachievement by 128 percent is attributed to the program’s interventions, which introduced lucrative markets; promoted timely and relevant drought mitigation interventions that were low to no-cost salvaging beneficiaries beef and dairy herds from poverty deaths. • EG.3.2-6: Value of agricultural and rural loans as a result of USG assistance. FY 2016 target was $50,000 worth of loans and the program achieved $60,597, which is 20 percent above target. This is attributed to increased interest by MFIs to disburse loans to beneficiaries organized in groups that were formed as a result of program interventions. About 86 percent of the value of loans was disbursed to feedlot farmers. • EG.3.2-3: Number of MSMEs, including farmers, receiving agricultural-related credit as a result of USG assistance. The program reached out to 207 MSMEs against a target of 170. The majority of assisted borrowers (92 percent) were farmers participating in program monitored feedlots. The program promoted farmer groups, which enabled MFIs to extend group lending that resulted in 100 percent repayment rates. The program was instrumental in ensuring that committees were set up and capacitated for all producer groups, thereby providing effective co-guarantee reducing default risk. In addition, the farmers were linked to guaranteed formal buyers and input suppliers further reducing market risk. • EG.3.2-4: Number of food security private enterprises (for profit), producers organizations, water users associations, women’s groups, trade and business associations, and community-based organizations (CBOs) receiving USG food security related organizational development assistance. The program collaborated with 51 organizations against a target of 58. This deficit of seven organizations is to a large extent attributed to eight water user associations the program targeted to work with but could not reach out to. Program interventions in the first year were demand- driven thus there was a bias to work more with dryland livestock farmers who were facing challenges induced by the 2015/2016 El Nino phenomenon compared to those on irrigation schemes,. Natural regions IV and V were hard-hit by the drought and happen to contain the majority of program focus areas. • EG.3.2-5: Number of public-private partnerships formed as a result of USG assistance. The program established partnerships with nine organizations against a target of 15. Although the program identified more than 10 organizations for potential partnerships, some did not meet the required standards while some were unwilling to work with smallholder farmers. In addition, the program worked informally with other organizations with the hope of establishing formal MOUs. The program will continue to educate the private sector on the strategic importance (social, political, and economic) of incorporating the smallholder farmers in their business models in hopes to increase public-private partnerships.

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• EG.3.2-22: Value of new private sector capital investment in the agriculture sector or food chain leveraged by Feed the Future implementation. Organizations collaborating with the program invested $35,020 in equipment, infrastructure, and breeding animals to improve production and productivity of the smallholder livestock sector. The target for FY 2016 was an investment of $20,000. The prime mover was Gokwe Dairy Cooperative Society who took heed of the program’s advice to expand its membership base and quantity of raw milk for the MCC to be viable. The society purchased 22 in-calf heifers valued at $29,600, which were on-lend to members to increase the production and productivity of their dairy herds.

• HL.9.1-c Women’s dietary diversity: Mean number of food groups consumed by women of reproductive age. The FY 2016 target was to achieve a mean of 2.8 food groups, the program achieved 3.7. The program raised awareness through training, food demonstrations, and collaborating with village health workers to promote consumption of locally available foods, which included wild fruits and other vitamin A and iron-rich vegetables (pumpkin leaves, okra, Indian dates, black jack, amaranths, and green monkey orange). In addition, nutrition gardens and small stock production was encouraged. The doubling of milk yields (from 2.61 to 5.72 liters per cow per day) among dairy producers generated surplus milk for own consumption and additional income that was used to purchase other food groups such as meat. These food groups were complementary to the traditionally consumed grains and dark green vegetables.

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ANNEX 1. SNAPSHOTS

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Non-conventional fodder unlocks dairy potential

Many Zimbabwean smallholder livestock farmers rely on natural rangelands for cheap animal feed. However, the recent drought has made this practice challenging. Despite numerous locally available low- cost supplementary feed sources to formulate nutritious livestock feed rations, most smallholder farmers remain unaware of alternatives. To address this knowledge gap, the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program is promoting non-conventional feed. Farmers are being encouraged to use mulberry leaves, and pods from acacia species, monkey bread, Dichrostachys, and zebrawood trees as these sources contain crude protein in excess of 14 percent. Farmers also learn to formulate feed rations utilizing other sources, such as crop stover, false banana stems, and sugar cane tops. Esau Hlomayi and Lucy Gwatinyanya are dairy farmers from Gokwe Photo by Fintrac Inc. South, Midlands who learned to increase their milk yields and reduce feed cost through good animal husbandry practices in dairy production. Acacia pods provide a nutritious low cost feed Hlomayi and Gwatinyanya adopted acacia pods blended with yellow alternative with crude protein content in maize as supplementary feed. Within a week of feeding, both farmers excess of 14 percent. recorded an average increase of 1 liter per cow per day. Hlomayi successfully increased the daily milk yield for his five milking cows from 18 to 25 liters, while Gwatinyanya increased the milk yield of her cow from 8 to 9 liters. Both farmers reduced their feed costs by 32 percent. Hlomayi feeds with the blended low-cost feed at a ratio of one part acacia pods to two parts yellow maize. Previously, he spent $4 on dairy feed and yielded 18 liters per day from the five animals. With the new feed formulation, he is now spending $2.70 per day. “I would like to thank the program for enlightening us on the use of acacia pods as supplementary feed,” Hlomayi said. “I never thought that the pods would provide my cattle with a nutritious yet cheap source of animal feed.” To ensure adequate stockpiling of fodder, Gwatinyanya stockpiled 750 kilograms of acacia pods with the help of her grandchildren. Hlomayi reserved 800 kilograms of acacia pods at $80 and invested $180 worth of “I would like to thank the Feed the milk savings in a brush cutter for cutting hay. The brush cutter Future Zimbabwe Livestock significantly reduced his labor costs from $3 on labor to procure five Development program for enlightening bales of hay, versus an average $1.27 per liter of petrol to cut 15 bales. us on the use of acacia pods as Hlomayi also learned to feed his cows according to the amount of milk supplementary feed. I never thought produced each day. Adoption of this principle resulted in one of his cows that the pods would provide my cattle increasing daily milk yield from 4-8 liters. with a nutritious yet cheap source of animal feed.” Currently, Hlomayi is supplying Gokwe Milk Collection Center with an average 25 liters per day valued at $7.50. Over a lactation period of 240 days for his cows, he is set to earn an average $1,800 in income from Esau Hlomayi, milk production. As a center of excellence host, Hlomayi is also Smallholder dairy farmer mentoring 15 new dairy farmers and teaching them good animal husbandry practices in dairy production as learned from the program.

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ANNEX 2. ILLUSTRATIVE INDICATORS

Indicator FY2016 Indicator Baseline Disaggregate Quarter 5 Total Unit Source Target PROGRAM GOAL: SUSTAINABLY REDUCE POVERTY AND IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION FOR RURAL HOUSEHOLDS IN ZIMBABWE 0 Total 1,250 587 2,883 Households Number of households benefiting directly from 1 EG.3-1 0 Beef 750 517 2,235 (New and USG assistance under FTF 0 Dairy 500 70 648 Continuing) Estimated number and percentage of FTF

2 beneficiaries holding 5 hectares or less of arable LD 15 91 83 83 Percent 90 land or equivalent units of livestock (Smallholders) 76 Overall 62 N/A N/A Prevalence of poverty: Percent of people living on 3 LD 10 84 Beef 70 N/A N/A Percent less than $1.25/day† 60 Dairy 50 N/A N/A Mean percent shortfall relative to the $1.25 N/A N/A 4 LD11 45 40 Percent poverty line IR 1: Increased sustainable agricultural production, productivity, and incomes 237.72 Beef 300 323.03 323.03 5 Average household agricultural income LD 1 USD 415.22 Dairy 650 1,208.09 1,208.09 Farmer’s gross margin per animal with USG 18.80 Beef 27.00 28.63 28.63 6 EG.3-6,7,8 USD assistance 119.49 Dairy 125 170.27 170.27 7 Yield per dairy cow LD 5 2.61 4.30 5.72 5.72 Liters/day Sub-IR 1.1: Increased adoption of GAPS and management practices Number of farmers and others who have applied 8 improved technologies or management practices EG.3.2-17 0 715 3,031 3,031 Farmers as a result of USG assistance Sub-IR 1.2: Expanded market access and value chain integration Percent of beneficiaries selling at least 80 percent 9 LD 6 39 50 40 40 Percent of their milk to formal collection centers Percent of beneficiaries selling at least one head of Percentage 10 LD 7 26 35 44 44 Percent beef cattle annually to formal buyers beneficiaries

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Indicator FY2016 Indicator Baseline Disaggregate Quarter 5 Total Unit Source Target selling cattle Percentage beneficiaries 41 50 68 68 selling cattle to formal markets Total (Actual 0.10 0.31 1.02 1.02 Sales) Value of smallholder incremental sales with USG Beef Cattle (live) 11 EG.3.2-19 0.03 0.03 0.52 0.52 USD Millions assistance (Actual Sales) Dairy (Actual 0.07 0.28 0.50 0.50 Sales) Sub-IR 1.3: Improved NRM Number of individuals who have received USG 0 Total 1,440 1,022 3,276 Unique 12 supported short-term agricultural sector EG.3.2-1 0 Male 864 568 1,884 Individuals productivity or food security training 0 Female 576 454 1,392 Sub-IR 1.4: Increased access to credit and finance Value of agricultural and rural loans as a result of 13 EG.3.2-6 0 0.05 0.002 0.06 USD Millions USG assistance Number of MSMEs, including farmers, receiving 14 agricultural-related credit as a result of USG EG.3.2-3 0 170 2 207 MSMEs assistance Percent of beneficiaries borrowing at least once to 15 finance purchase of livestock or other capital LD 8 0 0 8 8 Percent investment IR 2: Improved nutrition and hygiene practices and behaviors (Improved nutrition status) Women’s dietary diversity: Mean number of food 16 HL.9.1-c 2.5 2.8 3.7 3.7 Groups groups consumed by women of reproductive age Prevalence of households with moderate or 17 LD12 39.2 39 25 25 Percent severe hunger Sub-IR 2.1: Improved utilization of nutritious foods Percent of households that consistently consume 18 LD 2 7 12 26 26 Percent at least 5 of 9 food groups

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Indicator FY2016 Indicator Baseline Disaggregate Quarter 5 Total Unit Source Target Prevalence of children 6-23 months receiving a 19 LD 14 1 10 10 10 Percent minimum acceptable diet Number of people trained in child health and Unique 20 LD 16 0 2,125 521 1,873 nutrition through USG-supported programs Individuals Sub-IR 2.2: Improved hygiene behaviors Percent of households that consistently practice at 21 LD 3 13 20 24 24 Percent least 4 out of 6 good hygiene practices Sub-IR 2.3: Increased prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding of children 22 LD13 72 72 69 69 Percent under six months of age IR 3: Increased capacity of local implementing organizations Sub-IR 3.1: Increased effectiveness of agricultural programs by local organizations Number of food security private enterprises (for profit), producers organizations, water users associations, women’s groups, trade and business Organizations/ 23 EG.3.2-4 0 58 3 51 associations, and community-based organizations Associations (CBOs) receiving USG food security related organizational development assistance Number of public-private partnerships formed as a EG.3.2-5 24 0 15 3 9 PPPs result of USG assistance Sub-IR 3.2: Increased adoption of best organizational practices Average change in score on organizational 0 5 6 6 25 assessment scorecard administered pre- and post- LD 4 Percent (53) assistance Sub-IR 3.3: Increased private sector investment in agriculture Value of new private sector capital investment in 26 the agriculture sector or food chain leveraged by EG.3.2-22 0 20,000 27,480 35,020 USD Feed the Future implementation Additional objectives GNDR3: Percent of female program beneficiaries 27 GNDR 3 36 40 40 40 Percent in relevant leadership positions 28 Percent of beneficiaries who have adopted the LD 9 Percent

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Indicator FY2016 Indicator Baseline Disaggregate Quarter 5 Total Unit Source Target following business practices Develop a budget for each farm enterprise 0 20 20 20 Track income and expenses in a record book 0 20 21 21 Calculate profit/loss for each major farm 0 20 19 19 enterprise

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ANNEX 3. LIST OF BUYERS

The companies listed in the table below have all been engaged, some expressed an interest to transact and some transacted with Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program beneficiaries in target districts during the year. Contact and Company Products Tel No. Email Title Agri Auctions Beef cattle Tony Oately 0772316470 [email protected] CBS Milk Buhle Nyathi 0771930480 [email protected] CC Sales Beef cattle Richard Wakefield 0712601061 [email protected] Denford Matiringe Dendairy Milk (Bulawayo Milk 0774306108 [email protected] Depot) Gokwe South Milk Elias Chiweshe 0775927631 MCC Mr Dhlodhlo Kershelmar Milk (Procurement 0772252734 [email protected] Manager) Koala Park 0773 477751 Abattoir Beef Cattle Kobus Raath [email protected] 0784844000 Chiredzi Heads and 0779748230 Beef cattle Chris Androliakos Chris [email protected] Hooves 0712211856 Mandigonera Goats Tendai Sixpence 0777167270 [email protected] Enterprises Montana Carswell Meats 0771247612 Beef cattle Arthur Rex [email protected] Gokwe & 059-2855 Redcliff Montana Rod Fenell 0773982898 Carswell Meats Beef cattle Craig Green 0772816069 Masvingo Nhliziyoenhle Riverbank Milk 0712380904 Mlalazi Takawira MCC Milk Sarah Ndodha 077378778 Tongogara MCC Milk Magwaza Esau 0713433645 Bulawayo Beef cattle SI Brenner 263 9 [email protected] Abattoirs 400715/403689 Beef cattle & Sabie Meats Neil van der Merwe 0772214116 [email protected] stock feed Umzingwane Milk Sheila Lupuwana 0775559742 MCC

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ANNEX 4. LIST OF INPUT SUPPLIERS

The companies listed in the table below have all been engaged, some expressed an interest to transact and some transacted with Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development program beneficiaries in target districts during the year. Contact and Company Products Tel No. Email Title Beef cattle & Sabie Meats Neil van der Merwe 0772214116 [email protected] stock feed Luipaardsvlei Brahman bulls Dawie Joubert 0774334554 [email protected] Brahmans Dr. Morgan [email protected] Ecomark & Veterinary 0772282803 Matingo Coopers supplies 0773724088 Dr. Oswin Choga [email protected] Technical Econet information on Beniah Nyakanda 0774222867 [email protected] Wireless livestock Dr. Bruce Fivaz [email protected] Veterinary 0772189802 Fivet supplies 0773582239 John Magasi (sales) [email protected] Lamour Dairy Milk, dairy Gareth Barry 0772260799 [email protected] Products animals Maize, pasture, Klein Karoo and vegetable Beauty Magiya 0772339326 [email protected] seed Quest Financial Finance James Msipa 0772573276 [email protected] Services UNTU Financial 0774164390 Finance Clive Msipa [email protected] Services 04332968/308746 Virl Finance Virginia Sibanda 0774391252 [email protected] Microfinance Agrifoods Stock feed Luke Mutemeri 0712632 333 [email protected] 0772148713 National Foods Stock feed Willard Mukondiwa [email protected] 0733400112 Cottco Cotton Motes Mr. Mutauranwa 0773715297 [email protected] Stock feed and Windmill veterinary Claude Ndavambi 0772433496 [email protected] supplies Zimbabwe Farmer 0771564555 Paul Zakariya [email protected] .zw Farmers Union Organization 0771564554

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ANNEX 5. LIST OF ANECDOTAL TABLES

Table 3.2.1.1. Milk Production and Sales in Program Focus Areas July-Sept 2015 Oct-Dec 2015 Jan-March 2016 April-June 2016 July-Sept 2016 Total FY 2016 Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value ($) (lt) ($) (lt) ($) (lt) ($) (lt) ($) (lt) ($) (lt) Raw milk delivered Gokwe MCC 26,669 $17,208 30,598 $16,829 39,399 $19,700 32,762 $10,811 30,655 $13,795 160,083 $78,343 Shurugwi MCC 617 $358 592 $296 1,285 $643 3,452 $1,380 1,854 $792 7,800 $3,469 Umzingwane MCC 55,552 $29,540 52,738 $26,369 52,297 $30,174 48,211 $24,106 38,917 $19,459 208,798 $110,189 Total 82,838 $47,106 83,928 $43,494 92,981 $50,517 84,425 $36,297 71,426 $34,046 415,598 $211,460 Source: Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program, MCCs and Dairy Services

Table 3.2.2.1: Direct Cattle Sales to Abattoirs off the Rangelands in Program Operational areas FY 2016 FY 2016 Number of farmers Sales Average Value per District # of animal F M Total Value ($) animals Chipinge 54 176 230 390 $148,185 $380 Chirumanzu 4 20 24 33 $12,150 $368 Shurugwi 6 36 42 71 $32,069 $452 Total 64 232 296 494 $192,404 $389

Table 3.2.2.2 : Sales Summary from Program Supervised Feedlots, July 2015- September 2016 Midlands Manicaland Matabeleland Total Province Q1 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 Q5 Q1 Q2 # of feedlots 2 10 119 0 7 120 7 9 37 Total loan value ($) $3,187 $20,565 $525 $0 $5,979 $021 $21,288 $22,651 $74,195 # of animals 27 136 6 0 66 2 143 100 480 # of female farmers 2 28 2 0 13 0 18 24 87

19 Umzingwane 20 Individual farmer (Milton Mabhejayi) of Mutanda village, Ward 22, Chipinge. He was a member of Batanai feedlot in Q2 FY16. He fattened and sold two animals to Koala Park 21 Self-financed feedlot. Farmer incurred $300 on feedlot costs ($150 per animal)

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Table 3.2.2.2 : Sales Summary from Program Supervised Feedlots, July 2015- September 2016 Midlands Manicaland Matabeleland Total Province Q1 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 Q5 Q1 Q2 # of male farmers 19 62 3 0 20 1 95 57 257 Gross Value of sales $15,575 $84,882 $2,610 $0 $31,502 $1,551 $39,979 $58,278 $234,377 ($) Net Value of Sales $12,388 $64,317 $2,085 $0 $25,523 $1,251 $18,691 $35,627 $159,882 ($) Source: Feed the Future Zimbabwe Livestock Development Program

Table 3.2.2.3: Cattle Sales from Auctions in Nkayi, July 2015 – September 2016 Number of Number of Month Total Sales ($) Gross Return per Animal ($) Cattle Sold Farmers July 300 285 142,500 475 August 217 198 104,160 480 September 214 200 102,292 478 Total 731 683 348,952 477 October 111 96 55,241 498 November 110 91 50,525 459 December 50 40 22,600 452 Total 271 227 128,366 474 January 38 30 13,640 455 February 172 134 66,100 384 March 125 110 50,705 406 Total 335 274 130,445 400 April 239 201 111,158 460 May 293 275 123,597 417 June 59 43 24,041 407 Total 591 519 258,796 428 July 74 32,210 435 August 60 24,630 410 September 40 18,485 462 Total 174 75,325 433 Grand Total 2,102 941,884 448 Source: Inala & Nkayi RDC

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Table 3.2.2.4 : Mlonyeni Auction Sales, Lupane District, March – September 2016 Number of Number of Number of Lowest Price Average Price Highest Price Month Animals Sold Farmers Selling Buyers ($) ($) ($) March 100 77 6 250 427 700 Total 100 77 April 72 59 6 280 476 770 May 91 79 2 220 387 620 June 101 85 4 205 457 700 Total 264 223 12 July 134 95 6 200 420 770 August 102 82 5 250 420 770 September 61 46 2 300 495 790 Total 297 223 13 Grand Total 661 523 Source: CC Sales

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