The drought in Zimbabwe has led to the drying of ponds, harvest and pastures, the cattle breeders and farmers are not able to feed their animals or sell them at the normal price.

Began the sale of cattle.

Due to the fact that a large number of desperate farmers now brought animals to the market, the cow, which cost 500$, now on sale for only $150, and in some places for $50 to buyers in cities.

As climate change intensifies, drought becomes more frequent and serious problem in southern Africa, and in combination with the El niño phenomenon this year has victims in rural areas and losses in the economy, said experts.

Reservoirs dried up, and people drink from sources intended for livestock.

Zimbabwe is one of many countries suffering from the effects of El niño, which lowered the amount of precipitation in southern Africa last year, killing crops and breaking the production of hydropower, and local authorities had to impose strict water rationing in some regions.

In the past, farmers faced with drought, moved their cattle to the neighboring regions where there was more rain. But this time the drought is widespread, and grass nowhere.

Experts in animal husbandry reported that the drying of pastures resulted in the death of thousands of cattle across the country.

Last year, the Ministry of agriculture reported that the national cattle herd reached 5.3 million animals, which is 6 million lower than in 2014.

Last week, the meteorological Department announced that the country should expect rains in the next month, taking hope to the pastoralists.

According to the Ministry of agriculture, Zimbabwe is experiencing the most serious drought since then, as the drought in 1991-1992 killed a few million cattle.

However, despite the fact that the world food program reported last month that millions of Zimbabweans will need food aid this year, farmers claim that no help is not expected for the dying cattle.

The livestock Department has predicted that more than 350,000 head of cattle can be under the threat of death due to drought in the South.

Last month the United Nations food and agriculture announced that it would provide subsidized food for livestock for small-scale farmers in four districts of the suffering of the region in the South of the country, as hundreds of cattle were killed by heavy El niño drought.

Source: Thomson Reuters