• Asian Journal of Business Environment
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.13-15
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• 2014

Purpose - This paper discusses the effectiveness of EcoFarmer in Zimbabwe. The effectiveness of EcoFarmer still needs to be established because it is a new product that is hardly a month old. Research design, data, and methodology - The paper follows a qualitative research methodology and an exploratory approach to establish the effectiveness of EcoFarmer in the promotion of productivity in the agricultural sector in Zimbabwe. Using an Internet-based literature review, the paper explored the link that exists between Econet's EcoFarmer program and agricultural development in Zimbabwe. Results - The findings are that the innovation promotes agricultural productivity. This is in line with what was established by Safaricom Foundation in Kenya. Conclusions - The paper used literature sources because the phenomenon is exploratory. This limitation could have been avoided by using a field survey. The paper shows that the EcoFarmer is an innovative project that was developed by Econet as a replication of the Kenyan program.

• Asian Journal of Business Environment
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.31-37
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• 2013

Purpose - This paper objectively analyzes the effects of globalization on Zimbabwe's business and economic development using the Business in Context (BIC) model. Research design, data, and methodology - We employed a qualitative research methodology, following an exploratory secondary research design in this paper. Results - The findings reveal that businesses in Zimbabwe have benefited from globalization as it has drawn investments from international companies in the country. In addition, the business sector is benefiting from the economies of scale realized from the investments made by companies in Africa, East Asia, Europe, and America. However, we also discover that globalization has resulted in the proliferation of cheap sub-standard goods and services from East Asia, and has increased competition between indigenous companies and foreign-owned multinationals. Conclusion - Our findings suggest that globalization has both positive and negative effects on business and economic development in Africa in general, and Zimbabwe in particular. However, we note that the advantages, to a certain extent, outweigh the disadvantages. What, then, could be the way forward for Zimbabwe, in the face of globalization? As a solution, this paper recommends the development of a policy on global associations by the Zimbabwean government, to enhance business and economic development.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.1347-1352
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• 2000

The objectives of the study were to examine non-genetic factors that influence somatic cell counts in dairy cattle and to estimate the genetic parameters of somatic cell counts. A total of 34, 097-test day somatic cell count records were obtained from the Zimbabwe Dairy Services Association (ZDSA). The data were from 5, 615 Holstein daughters of 390 sires and 2, 541 dams tested between May 1994 and December 1998. First lactation cows contributed 22, 147 records to the data set, while 11, 950 records were from second and later parity cows. The model for analysis included fixed effects of month of calving, year of calving, stage of lactation, calving interval and test date. Milk yield and age on test day were fitted in the model as covariates. The additive genetic effects pertaining to cows, sires and dams and the residual error were the random effects. The Average Information Restricted Maximum Likelihood algorithm was used for analysis. The heritability of somatic cell scores was low at $0.027{\pm}0.013$ for parity one cows and $0.087{\pm}0.031$ for parity two and above. Repeatability estimates were $0.22{\pm}0.01$ and $0.30{\pm}0.01$ for the two lactation groups, respectively. Genetic and phenotypic correlations between the somatic cell scores and test day milk production were small and negative. It seems that there is no genetic link between somatic cell counts and milk yield in Holstein cattle in Zimbabwe. The results also seem to indicate that somatic cell count is a trait that is mainly governed by environmental factors.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.1098-1105
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• 2001

There is little information on smallholder dairy farming in Zimbabwe. With such inadequate knowledge, no meaningful decisions on how to improve these systems can be made. A study was, therefore, carried out in Nharira communal area and Lancashire small-scale commercial area to provide information on the viability of dairy farms. This paper is based on data obtained through participatory monitoring of 13 smallholder dairy farms in 1996 and 1997. All the four farms in Lancashire were found to be viable in both years. In Nharira, two out of the nine farms in 1996 and three farms in 1997 failed to break even. There were considerable inter-farm differences in the contribution of milk sales towards total income from dairy farming, ranging from 41% to 99% in Nharira and 71% to 81% in Lancashire in 1996. Corresponding estimates in 1997 were 51-95% and 72-78%, respectively. Expenses on cattle feeds contributed 36-84% in 1996 and 37-80% in 1997 towards total variable costs in Nharira. In Lancashire, the respective estimates were 15-33% and 22-36%. Seven out of the nine studied farms in Nharira and three out of four in Lancashire realized higher gross margin (GM) in 1997 than in 1996. All these farming households had conserved considerable amounts of farm-grown feeds. It was concluded that feed costs, number of cows and sizes of land holdings were the main factors determining viability of smallholder dairy farming. The major challenge to smallholder dairy farming in Nharira, in particular, was to develop low-cost feeding strategies.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.579-584
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• 1999

The trace mineral status of cattle in the smallholder grazing areas of Sanyati and Chinamhora in Zimbabwe was evaluated during the rainy and dry seasons of 1994 and 1995. The evaluation was done in terms of mineral concentration in blood plasma. Plasma copper in calves, steers and cows in the dry season was; Sanyati: 0.55, 0.59, and 0.61; Chinamhora: 0.59, 0.58, and $0.60{\mu}g/ml$, respectively versus a normal of $0.65{\mu}g/ml$. In the rainy season, copper was deficient at both sites (averaging $0.56{\mu}g/ml$ and $0.59{\mu}g/ml$ at Sanyati and Chinamhora, respectively). Plasma selenium in the dry season was 0.017, 0.025, and $0.017{\mu}g/ml$ for calves, steers and cows, respectively at Sanyati versus a normal of $0.03{\mu}g/ml$ and therefore considered to be deficient. Iron, zinc and cobalt were found to be generally high and therefore unlikely to be deficient. Copper and selenium are recommended in salt licks in these environments.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1680-1688
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• 2008

Development of village chicken production can be a sustainable way of helping to meet the welfare needs of rural populations and raise their living standards. There is a dearth of information on research conducted to characterize, understand and develop the village chicken production systems in Zimbabwe. This review focuses on constraints, opportunities and research needs for the improvement of village chicken productivity in Zimbabwe. Village chicken production in Zimbabwe is extensive and dominated by indigenous chickens that exhibit remarkable adaptation to local environments. The multitude functions of village chickens, which include the provision of high quality protein meat and eggs, cash through sales and socio-cultural roles, are discussed in detail. Human gender aspects in village chicken production are highlighted. The factors that hamper village chicken productivity are reviewed together with opportunities and research needs. The major constraints include shortage of feed, poor health and housing management. Any improvements in these constraints may lead to sustainable increase in village chicken productivity.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.23-33
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• 2023

Purpose: This paper provides a literature review of both qualitative and quantitative research on service delivery in urban local authorities as portrayed in literature and offers more insight into the concept thereby developing and facilitating an improved understanding of service delivery and proffering strategies for improving service delivery in urban local authorities. Research design, data and methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Empirical and theoretical research and articles which are relevant to service delivery in urban local authorities are reviewed and analysed. Only secondary information gathered through those articles and research is used to analyse and build literature review on service delivery in urban local authorities. Results: a literature review of both qualitative and quantitative research on service delivery in urban local authorities as portrayed in literature proffering strategies for improving service delivery in urban local authorities. Conclusions: It is evident that service delivery is an area which needs more attention, especially in developing countries. The service delivery environment is also changing rapidly, calling for strategies to match such changes. This paper facilitates an improved understanding of service delivery, proffering strategies for improving service delivery in urban local authorities. These strategies are essential in improving service delivery challenges.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.68-76
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• 1999

A formal survey was carried out in Nharira-Lancashire areas located in Chivhu to assess the calf rearing systems practiced in smallholder dairy farming areas of Zimbabwe. A total of 47 farmers, collectively owning 305 cows and 194 calves of various breeds, participated in the survey. All the farmers allowed their calves to suckle their dams all day to obtain colostrum. The colostrums intake period was significantly (p < 0.05) shorter (5.2 vs 4.1 days) in the small scale commercial area (SSCA) compared to communal area (CA). Milk was first sold to the Nharira-Lancashire Milk Centre a day after the colostrum intake period ended. Most of the CA (91.3%) and SSCA (77.8%) farmers penned their cows and calves together at night during the colostrum intake period. Thereafter the calves were penned separate from their dams. After colostrum intake, two types of calf suckling systems were practised; twice a day suckling and twice a day then changed to once a day suckling. In both systems, suckling was allowed for 30 minutes after the cows had been hand milked. There was no significant (p < 0.05) difference in the mean weaning age of calves between the CA and SSCA (5.8 vs 5.4 months). The most common weaning method was through separation of the calves from the dams. The limitaitions to calf production in Chivhu were the prohibitively high costs of calf meals, poor feed resources during the dry season, a general lack of knowledge on calf rearing diseases and inappropriate calf housing.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.1469-1474
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• 2005

The objective of this study was to determine the levels of nutritionally related blood metabolites, age and body weight at puberty in gilts fed on corn cob-based diet in Mukota and Landrace${\times}$Mukota crossbred gilts. Ten gilts of each of Mukota and crossbred genotypes were fed two diets for 14 weeks in a 2${\times}$2 (breed${\times}$diet) factorial treatment arrangement. A corn-cob based diet, designed to contain 2,304 kcal ME/kg, and a standard pig grower diet, were used. The corn cob constituted 20 percent of the total ration. Fortnightly, bodyweights and feed conversion ratios (FCR) were recorded. Blood samples were collected to determine blood glucose, urea and creatinine levels. The average daily bodyweight gain (ADG) in the Mukota was lower (p<0.05) than in the crossbred gilts. Crossbred gilts fed on the corn cob-based diet had lower (p<0.05) urea values from eight weeks from the start of the experiment (p<0.05) compared to Mukota gilts fed the same diet. There were no differences in blood glucose and creatinine concentrations between diets and genotypes. The lack of differences in the nutritionally-related blood metabolites suggest that corn cobs could be incorporated at 20 percent inclusion without compromising blood metabolite concentrations and age at puberty of the Mukota and Landrace${\times}$Mukota gilts.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.883-887
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• 2000

One way of evaluating the effectiveness of a dairy breeding program is to measure response to selection. This may be direct or indirect. The objectives of this study were to estimate expected progress for direct selection on milk, fat and protein yields; to estimate the expected correlated responses on indirect selection for milk, fat and protein yields in Zimbabwean Holstein cattle and to establish the effect of selection intensity on responses. The Animal Model contained fixed effects of herd, year of calving, calving month, dry period, milking frequency and additive effects pertaining to cows, sires and dams. AIREML software package was used to analyse the data. The genetic and phenotypic parameters obtained in this study were used to compute direct and correlated responses to selection. Because of the higher heritabilities in first parity, genetic progress was found to be greater when selection was practised on first parity cows as compared to later lactations. It is therefore recommended that older cows in the herd be replaced with improved heifers so as to enhance genetic progress.