Mashona: small in stature, big in value

Zimbabwe's indigenous Mashona cattle are renowned for their outstanding productivity and ability to survive under even the most extreme conditions. Maree Osborne, chairperson of the Mashona Cattle Society of Zimbabwe, spoke to Annelie Coleman about this remarkable breed of beef cattle.

Zimbabwe’s indigenous Mashona, a Sanga-type cattle breed, has evolved over millennia into a hardy, highly adaptable and economical contender in the African beef production arena, says Maree Osborne, chairperson of the Mashona Cattle Society of Zimbabwe.

Following the decimation of the Shona people’s cattle herds as a result of rinderpest in the late 1890s and East Coast fever in the early 1900s, Angoni cows were mated with Mashona bulls, resulting in the Mashona breed as it is known today. A herd book was established in 1954, after a decade of selection for beef production. Mashona are usually either black or red, and most are now polled.

“Working with Mashona cattle has given me a huge amount of pleasure over the years. The breed’s small stature plays a crucial role in its survivability, fertility and production efficiency under extensive farming conditions,” explains Osborne. In its breed-evaluation research trial from 1974 to 1900, the largest and longest of its kind in Africa, Zimbabwe’s Matopos Research Station found that the Mashona far outperformed all other breeds in the country in terms of beef live weight per hectare.

According to Osborne, the Mashona’s docility and relatively small body size facilitate easy handling and management.

An added benefit of the breed is that the females graze in groups, which allows for the more efficient use of bulls during the breeding: season.

The females are also highly protective of the calves, and when the dams need to graze, a few matrons will guard their calves in a nursery area while they do so, and will warn the rest of the herd of danger.

HIGH RAINFALL