THE surge in livestock sales by farmers as a defensive strategy against the vagaries of drought last year will adversely affect the growth of the sector, an expert has said.
The 2023/24 drought was one of the worst in the Sub-Saharan Africa region in recent times, resulting in widespread deaths of livestock.
The latest Crop and Livestock Assessment Report revealed significant declines across various meat segments, with fish yields down 27 percent, broiler meat decreasing by 1,9 percent, and national cattle offtake at 10,5 percent, well below the ideal range of 15 to 20 percent.