The ManicaPost
Luke Mafere Post Reporter
TAGUTA Farm owned by Johanne Marange Church leader, Mutumwa Noah Taguta, scooped most of the prizes in animal husbandry at the just-ended Manicaland Agricultural Show.
The prizes included best livestock heifer beef, best livestock cow beef, best livestock bull beef. They were also third placed in the dairy farming category.
The farm also won prizes in the rearing of other animals like goats, rabbits, sheep, guinea fowls, pigeons and turkeys.
To cap it up, they also scooped the best farming stand award ahead of major players like Grasslands Research Centre, Magamba Training Centre and Greater Sisal Farm among others.
The animal husbandry business portfolio is one among several businesses run by Mutumwa Taguta.
In an interview, the farm manager, Mr Edwin Taguta, said: “Our farming projects have expanded in the last few years and this year we have won several accolades to add on to this current one. We are the current national grand champions in animal husbandry, a prize that we won at this year’s Harare Agricultural Show in Harare.”
The project which has a total of 2 200 beasts has expanded to other provinces.
“We have animals in many farms even outside Manicaland. Our cattle are now over 2 000 and we have farms in Chipinge, Chinhoyi, Odzi, Nyazura and Marange which is our headquarters and that is also where it all started,” said Mr Taguta.
He pointed out that the success of the project was premised on the ability to professionally manage the animals to avoid diseases.
“Although we also into crop husbandry, we have realised that animals are more resilient to climatic change than crops, hence our emphasis on them. This tallied well with this year’s show theme that looked at harnessing climate change,” said Mr Taguta.
He added that the provision of food supplements, de-worming and treatment programmes were key to maintaining a healthy breed of animals, be it cattle, goats or any other animals.
Taguta Farm also engages in cash crops production and currently boosts of wheat, tomatoes and maize.
