Anesushe Mamhute
Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe has donated hundreds of bales of wheat stover to seven villages in Triangle to help them feed their livestock at a time when pastures are getting scarcer due to the drought.
Tongaat Hulett cultivated wheat on 102 hectares in Triangle as part of the company’s efforts to widen its contribution to food security.
With some 300 tonnes of wheat having been harvested and delivered to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), the company has now baled the straws and given them to communities whose herds are under pressure due to diminishing pastures.
The bales were received by Chiredzi West Member of Parliament Darlington Chiwa for distribution to communities through Village Development Committee chairpersons.
“These wheat straw bales donated by Tongaat Hulett are the feed that locals critically need for their livestock. They help to keep the remaining cattle alive at a time when many have died,” said Chiwa.
Eugenia Machaya, a villager from Triangle’s Village 3B, said she was grateful for the share of wheat stover bales she received to feed her cow.
“I have one cow left after eight others died due to scarcity of grazing. I could not afford to buy supplementary feed,” said Machaya.
Tongaat Hulett Head of Corporate and Industrial Affairs Dr. Dahlia Garwe said the company was determined to support communities as a way of fostering strong and collaborative relationships.
“We are dedicated to supporting the local community, and we will invest in all opportunities to do so. This includes checking for excess molasses to supplement the survival feed we have donated. We should also find alternative use for cane tops to benefit the community rather than burn them,” said Garwe.
Some 488 bales had been collected from Triangle at the time of writing, while 600 others staked at Hippo Valley were yet to be collected.
The Lowveld region has experienced extreme heat conditions since February, with average temperatures soaring to around 40 Degrees Celsius and very little rainfall being received to date.
