Beef cattle production and management
Practical Action
Jonathan Rusirevi: is a Provincial Livestock Specialist within the Department of Livestock
Production and Development in Mashonaland Central. He is based in Bindura. Rusirevi has four
years experience dealing with all livestock species across different production systems in the
province. His main achievements include managing to drive a group of smallholder farmers move
from subsistence livestock farming to commercial production at a farm in Bindura. Rusirevi's
hobbies include sharing ideas, especially on livestock development.
Contact details: Mobile- 091-902-405;091-853-707. E-mail: jrusirevi@yahoo.co.uk
Blessing Masamha: is a District Livestock Specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture. He is
based in Guruve in Mashonaland Central Province. With three years experience as a Livestock
Specialist, Masamha's main interests are to execute community development projects and adopt
and implement new technologies in agricultural (Livestock) production. He pioneered the
establishment of a dairy project in Mutoko while still employed by the Agricultural and Rural
Development Authority (ARDA)'s Dairy Development Programme. Contact details: E-Mail:
bmasamha@yahoo.com; P 0 Box CY1976, Causeway, Harare.
Robson Zengeni: is a veterinary services employee with the Ministry of Agriculture. He is based
in Mushumbi Pools in the Mbire District of Mashonaland Central Province. Zengeni has over 20
years experience in animal health. Zengeni's main interests are in animal production in
communal areas. Contact details: 058-2324.
Eddison Arifandaika: is a Field Assistant in Veterinary Services (Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis
Control) in the Ministry of Agriculture. He is based in Mushumbi Pools, Mbire District. With five
years experience, Arifandaika's main interests are in eradicating tsetse flies, making land
available for quality ranching and crop production. Contact details: Mushumbi Primary School, P
Bag 2016,Mbire. Tel: 058-2324.
Garikayi Nyamuzuwe: is a Harare-based illustrator with six years experience in the design
and production of artworks, mostly for non-governmental organisations. He has also done
work for companies in the private sector particularly illustrations for books.
Contact details: 263-4-459013. Mobile: 023-229-50l.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge their immense indebtedness and gratitude to the people
in the rural areas of Mbire District, in Mashonaland Central Province of Zimbabwe, who
participated wholeheartedly in baseline surveys and supplying of specific information suitable for
beef cattle production and management in the district. This publication would not have been
possible without the participation and encouraging, but often important, insights from these
people.
The authors would also like to thank all rural development facilitators and extension staff who
participated in the initial design of this training manual. Many people contributed to the
curriculum on which this manual is based. The authors have drawn on their collective expertise
but wish to particularly thank the level of participation shown by the various stakeholders and
partners. In addition, the training manual has drawn on many written sources both published and
unpublished.
Also, the authors extend a special thank you to all the staff members of Practical Action
Southern Africa's Making Markets Work for the Poor People Programme, especially Alex Mugova
(Programme Team Leader), Marshall Shumba (Project Manager) and Clara Karidza (Programme
Assistant). These made immense contributions to both the technical guidance of this training
manual, as well as administrative and logistical support. We would also like to thank
Thembinkosi Nyathi, Communications Manager, Practical Action Southern Africa, for his tireless
effort in ensuring the manuscript's conformity with Practical Action publishing guidelines.
Finally, the authors wish to acknowledge the ground-breaking efforts of Practical Action Southern
Africa's Johnson Nyamapfene-former Project Manager - Guar Bean Diversification - who made
contributions to the original training manual project idea and laid the basis for much of its early
participatory strategy design.
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