Forage-based livestock fattening rations gaining popularity with smallholder beef and goat producers in Zimbabwe

by @Thembinkosi Baleni, @Godfrey J. Manyawu, and @Thandeka Matebesi

Household incomes and livelihoods of smallholder livestock producers in southern Africa are continually challenged by low productivity caused by adverse climate change and inadvertent socio-economic factors.  It is increasingly important to strengthen and diversify rural incomes through the commercialization of technologies co-developed with local communities, which ultimately leads to improved productivity and marketability of produce.

Under the CGIAR Scaling for Impact science program, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in southern Africa is leading a regional drive to foster rural ruminant stock feed production using drought-tolerant forages and crop byproducts, which are generally cost-effective than oilseed byproducts. ILRI is working with the Department of Agriculture Research and Innovation Services (formerly DR&SS ARISS) in Zimbabwe and the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock in Zambia. Their goal is to commercialize small-scale livestock farming and ensure that rural farmers in Zimbabwe and Zambia produce high-performance ruminant feeds to supplement or fatten their animals, as well as to sell to other livestock farmers. The feeds are constituted mainly of hay and grain from drought-tolerant tropical forage legumes and field crop residues. Main forage legumes promoted by ILRI are velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens), lablab (Lablab purpureus), forage cowpeas (Vigna anguiculata), and dual-purpose groundnut varieties. Ward- or district-level feed production is important as it will reduce feed costs, improve access and incomes, whilst strengthening resilience to climate shocks.

Local feed, local power during the Murehwa and Madziwa field day

Why is ward-level production important? Because localizing feed production dramatically reduces transport costs, boosts access for remote farmers, supports decentralized job creation, and strengthens resilience against climate shocks. To effectively commercialize the game-changing innovations, ILRI with DR&SS, AGRITEX, and other private sector partners in Zimbabwe conducted two outreach activities in Mashonaland East (Murehwa) and Mashonaland Central (Madziva). These aimed to showcase the feed innovations to new and emerging young farmers in rural communities, whilst getting market feedback on the viability of commercialization and product performance.

In Murehwa Ward 11, the outreach initiative was held at Oscar Makamba’s household, a lead farmer.  The outreach program was attended by 280 people, including 4 village heads, local farmers, students, extension personnel, local council representatives, and private sector players. Farmers were taken through all processes from fodder and cereal production (agronomic) practices, harvesting techniques, storage practices, infrastructure setup and livestock feeding. The team also demonstrated mechanized processing of the feed by showcasing 20HP diesel powered chopper grinders that were invested to the farmers by ILRI in 2024.

The true power of this initiative came alive through the voices of farmers themselves. Washington Musanhi from Murehwa shared his experience: “I joined the program in 2023, under the Ukama Ustawi project. From that time, I learned that cattle need to be fattened through feeds formulated from forage legumes if one is to realize any meaningful income from livestock. I sold one animal at an abattoir in 2023. Although it was a bit aged, I realized a good profit.”

A similar field day was conducted in Madziva (Shamva, Ward 25) with a strong attendance of 210 people, comprising 91 male farmers, 83 female farmers, and 36 students. Partners included AGRITEX and the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) and private sector partners AGRISEEDS and Madziva Community radio, which helped amplify the message far beyond the physical field.

On behalf of ILRI, Godfrey Manyawu emphasized during the Murewa outreach program, “We are promoting forage-based livestock feeds. During our research, conducted in partnership with farmers, we observed that mature cattle on a legume-based diet were gaining 0.5–1.0 kg per day. Those who were consistent in feeding their livestock for at least 60 days realized a net carcass gain of approximately 30 kg per animal.  If a farmer were to sell the now upgraded animal at USD 4.50 per kg (economy grade price), multiplied by 30 kg gain, they would have already realized a net USD 135 improvement in income from the extra weight only, before factoring additional margin brought from rest of the carcass.

In addition, Manyawu explained how ILRI is planning to diversify and increase rural or smallholder farmer incomes through the commercialization of pen fattening diets, which have been tested with farmers. “We formulated and registered diets for livestock (goats and cattle) that can be sold in retail outlets”.  After the launch of the diets, farmers will also be able to access the formulations from the Ministry of Agriculture to produce their feed at home or through private manufacturing firms.”

Scaling commercial impact

In May 2025, ILRI convened with the National Agriculture Research Services (ARISS – formerly DR&SS) to discuss scaling and commercialization pathways of registered forage-based diets that have been developed. They explored high-impact pathways and steps towards industrializing feed production, which aligns with the Zimbabwean government’s National Development Strategy. ILRI plans to launch feeds to foster rural industrialization, improve rural incomes, reduce livestock production costs, and increase resilience against climate change risks. Once officially launched, these registered feeds will be available in retail shops, while formulations will be accessible to farmers and feed manufacturers. This dual approach ensures inclusivity: from the home-based mixer to the agro-industrial feed miller.