Rural Livelihoods Under Threat As 66% Of Zimbabweans Go Without Cattle

Two-thirds of Zimbabwean households are without cattle — a cornerstone of rural wealth, exposing the country’s deepening poverty, according to the latest 2025 ZimLAC report.

The nationwide assessment reveals that 66% of families lack even a single head of cattle, underscoring widespread economic hardship and declining resilience in rural communities.

The Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC), which conducted the survey across all provinces, found that livestock ownership remains critically low.

“About 66% of the households did not own any cattle,” the report stated.

Only 12% of households owned more than five animals, while 11% of communities reported that their livestock were in poor condition — reflecting limited access to veterinary care and deteriorating grazing conditions.

Pasture availability and quality were also under strain.

At the time of the assessment, 39% of communities rated pasture availability as fair, and 45% said pasture quality was fair.

These figures suggest that even households with cattle face challenges in maintaining healthy herds due to constrained grazing resources.

Cattle ownership varied significantly across provinces. Mashonaland West recorded the highest proportion of households without cattle at 73%, followed by Manicaland and Mashonaland Central at 71% each.

Mashonaland East stood at 70%, Matabeleland South at 69%, Matabeleland North at 60%, Midlands at 59%, and Masvingo at 57%.

These regional disparities point to uneven access to livestock support and economic opportunities.

The report, cited by NewsDay, also highlighted sharp discrepancies in livestock pricing.

“The highest cattle prices were reported in Insiza (US$506) and the lowest were reported in Bulilima (US$191),” ZimLAC noted.

Goat prices followed a similar pattern, with Insiza recording the highest at US$51 and Mbire the lowest at US$20.

These price gaps may be influenced by market demand, animal condition, and transport access.

In terms of public health awareness, the report found that 72.6% of communities had received information on rabies.

However, knowledge of other diseases was limited — only 6.1% of communities had accessed information on listeria, making it the least-known infectious disease in the survey.

While 52.2% of households had received early warning information, only 39.3% used it to plan for risk and mitigation, revealing a gap between awareness and preparedness.

Health and nutrition outreach reached 59.4% of households nationally.

Encouragingly, 58% of families lived within a 5km radius of a health facility — the recommended distance for basic healthcare access.

However, 9% of households had to travel more than 10km to reach medical services, raising concerns about accessibility in remote areas.

Education access was relatively stronger, with 72% of households having a primary school within a 5km radius. Meanwhile, 47% of households had access to information on services for victims of physical and sexual abuse.

Police services were accessible within one hour for 39% of households, and 46% reported that these services were victim-friendly.

The ZimLAC report paints a sobering picture of rural livelihoods in Zimbabwe, revealing not only economic hardship but also systemic gaps in service delivery and information access.

As the country grapples with poverty and inequality, the findings underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions in livestock development, healthcare, and community education.