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By Elvis Dumba
MUTORASHANGA- Farmers in the beef and dairy industry have been urged to adopt environment friendly practices in their activities to combat environment damaging effects such as land degradation which result from overgrazing.
A Mutorashanga farmer has took it upon himself in training small scale dairy and beef farmers around the area in regenerative farming practices.
Mark Hook of Doonside Farm near Mutorashanga in Zvimba District started his vibrant dairy enterprise in 2018.
Hook said the ever changing weather patterns due to climate change calls for farmers to continue accessing new information on various farming techniques to carry out relevant agriculture business.
“Climate change is real and the bad thing about it is that we as farmers contributes more to it through our farming methods which now calls for us to access new information and strengthen our contribution towards positive climate friendly activities,” Hook said during a tour of his farm.
“We usually do burn the grass and vegetation during land preparations which destroys pastures and affect the cattle ranching business which calls for behavior change adaptation by farmers,” he said.
Mr Hook practice regenerative farming practice which allows him to breed cows that are easy to maintain through inexpensive feeds.
Hook who has various breeds of dairy and beef cattle which includes, Kiwi Cross, Jersey and Friesland feeds the cattle through fertile pastures by encompassing egg layers in the ecosystem.
In his paddocks, layers are put in a moveable chicken runs and are allowed to roam around and feeds in pathogens found in cow dung increasing egg output whilst the chicken manure fertilises the grass which in turn is grazed by the cows.
“We introduce the layers into the pastures to fertilise the grass whilst the chickens feed on pathogens found in cow dung increasing the egg production and the layers are moved around the paddocks through a moveable hatchery and we bring in the cattle at the place we would have moved the chickens out. Through this way, our cattle is getting nutritious pastures that is environment friendly as there is no overgrazing and through feeding in the pathogens found in cow dung, egg production from the layers is increased and the process saves you lots of cents in feeding costs,” he said.
Hook pointed out that the regenerative strategy also lead to increased milk production.
At his farm, Hook produces various dairy products.
He has also appealed to government for more land to allow farmers to fully showcase their talents.
Meanwhile,his enterprise is being carried out on land he is leasing from A1 farmers.