Magic of maggots means survival for many poultry farmers in Zimbabwe
HARARE — Lovemore Kuwana cheerily lifts the lid of a container full of fresh maggots in his backyard, which he will feed to the poultry he keeps once the worms are dried.Amid Zimbabwe’s worst drought in 25 years, which has killed more than 19,000 cattle in the last few months and left 2.8-million people facing hunger, some farmers are looking to new food sources to keep their animals, birds and fish alive.As prices for maize and soy-based feed soar due to shortages, Mr Kuwana is producing maggots — small, white, crawling worms that feed on waste — to provide protein for his breeding flock of 120 free-range chickens and 1,000 quail."I have struggled to find nutritious feed for quite some time now," said the entrepreneur, unfazed by the stink of decomposing waste filling the air and the flies swarming around.In search of a solution, he began experimenting with maggots last September. "The results have been exceptional," he said.This business is not for the faint-hearted. For Mr Kuwana...
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