1) The document summarizes a study on livestock production systems in Botswana, which has a cattle population of 2.2 million with 80% in communal systems.
2) It finds that in both communal and commercial systems over 90% of cattle feed comes from rangelands, and assesses local feed resources in 19 extension areas.
3) Major constraints to livestock production identified across study sites include poor quality/insufficient grazing areas and water, high feed costs, livestock diseases and predators, and low meat prices.
Recombination DNA Technology (Nucleic Acid Hybridization )
Assessment of feed and feeding systems in the beef value chains in Botswana
1. Alec Makgekgenene; Leonard Baleseng; Sirak Bahta; E.
Molemogi; E. Metlhaleng and Ben Lukuyu
Conference on Policies for Competitive
Smallholder Livestock Production
Gaborone, Botswana, 4-6 March 2015
2.
Agriculture sector in Botswana entails crops and
livestock production.
Beef cattle are predominantly kept under communal
and commercial system.
Cattle population stands at 2.2 million (statistics
Botswana, 2012)
Communal system accounts for 80% of the national
cattle herd (Norris et al., 2002).
In both systems over 90% of feed supplies come from
rangelands (Malope et al., 2007).
FEAST was done in 19 extension in Botswana to
assess local feed resource availabilty
Introduction
3.
Production systems in study
sites
Study site
Typical production
system
Mean land size (ha)
Mean household size
(No.)
MOCHUDI
Mixed crop and livestock
production
5 5
MOLEPOLOLE
Mixed crop and livestock
production
10 6
JWANENG
Mainly pastoral livestock
production with some
arable crop farming
16 5
TSABONG
Mainly pastoral livestock
production with some
arable crop farming
6 5
GHANZI
Mainly pastoral livestock
production.
4,900 8
HUKUNTSI
Mainly pastoral livestock
production.
6 6
KANG
Mainly pastoral livestock
production.
6 7
4.
Proportion of HH by
farmer category
Mixed crop livestock
systems Mainly pastoral systems
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Landless Small farmer Medium
farmer
Large farmer
0 Up to 4 4to 16 More than
25
%ofhouseholdsthatfallintothe
category
Range of land size in hectar
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Landless Small farmer Medium farmer Large farmer
0 up to 9 10 to 15 more than 15
%ofhouseholdsthatfallintothecategory
Range of land size in hectar
5.
Average livestock holdings per
household - dominant species (TLU)
Mixed crop livestock
systems
0.00
20.00
40.00
60.00
80.00
100.00
120.00
140.00
160.00
180.00
Goats Improved
Beef cattle
Improved
Buffalo
Local Beef
cattle
Sheep
Mainly pastoral systems
0.00
20.00
40.00
60.00
80.00
100.00
120.00
140.00
160.00
180.00
Improved
Beef cattle
Goats Fattening
and
draught
cattle
Horse Fattening
and
draught
buffalo
6.
Feeding systems
District Type of feeding system
JWANENG
(Pastoral)
Livestock graze on natural pastures during the day and are kraaled at
night. Supplementary feeding offered periodically as pastures
deteriorate.
GHANZI
Pastoral)
Cattle and goats are kraaled during the day and released to graze at
night on natural pastures. Kraaling during the day allows farmers to
treat sick animals and do routine managerial practices.
HUKUNTSI
(Pastoral)
Cattle are usually released to graze on designated rangelands during
the day and kraaled at night. Some farmers supplement cattle diets
with Acacia tree pods and indigenous browse plants during the dry
season.
MOCHUDI
(Mixed crop)
Grazing on communal lands. Animals are periodically given
supplementary feeds mostly during the dry season. Silage is
sometimes offered to cattle for feeding especially by large scale
farmers.
MOLEPOLOLE
(Mixed crop)
Livestock (cattle, goats and sheep) is usually released to graze on
natural pastures during the day and kraaled at night. Animal are
supplemented with crop residues mixed with concentrates during the
7.
Average area (ha) per HH
of dominant arable crops
Mixed crop livestock
systems
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
Maize (Zea mays) Cabbage (Brassica
oleracea)
Pumpkin
(Cucurbita
maxima)
Averageareaperhousehold(hectares
Mainly pastoral systems
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
Maize (Zea mays) Watermelon (Citrullus
lanatus)
Averageareaperhousehold(hectares
8.
Veterinary services are commonly offered by Government.
Occasionally they fail to offer services due to lack of transportation.
Livestock drugs are easily accessible to farmers in local retail
outlets.
The government owned AI camps are implementing a quota
system of insemination which limits the use by farmers who have
large herds. Farmers who want the quota for cattle insemination
per farmer to be increased.
Access to credit is difficult for elderly farmers of over 50 years old.
However, the youths are given priority to access loans due a
government policy empower the youth economically.
There is shortage of labour despite competitive wages that includes
a monthly supply of groceries. Most labourers prefer part-time
jobs.
Inputs and services in mixed-
crop livestock systems
9.
Quantity of feed purchased
over a 12mth period
Mixed crop livestock
systems
Lucerne
(Medicago
sativa) - hay
20%
SALT
COARSE
sodium
chloride
8%
Sugarcane -
molassesme
al
7%
Diculcium
Phosphate
7%
BEEF
FINISHER
3%
Drought
Pellets
19%
Sugarcane
(Saccharum
officinarum)
- molasses
1%
Wheat
(Triticum
aestivum) -
bran
14%
SALT
COARSE
block
1%
Sugarcane -
molasses
block
2%
Commericall
y mixed
ration
18%
Mainly pastoral systems
Sodium
Chloride
(salt)
34%
Phosphorus
dicalcium
9%
Commericall
y mixed
ration
14%
Wheat
(Triticum
aestivum) -
bran
35%
Sugarcane
(Saccharum
officinarum)
- molasses
7%
Lucerne
(Medicago
sativa) - hay
1%
13.
Study site
Major Livestock Constraints
(In order of importance)
1 2 3 4 5
JWANENG Water shortage Low meat prices
Livestock
disease
Unavailability of
supplementary
feeds
Poor quality
grazing pastures
GHANZI Low meat prices
Labour
shortages
Lack of
machinery and
skills to operate
Inaccessibility to
markets and
high costs of
transport
Lack of artificial
insemination
service
HUKUNTSI
Poor quality
(salty) water
Insufficient
grazing areas
Low market
price for cattle
at BMC
Livestock
diseases
Livestock
predators
TSABONG
Overgrazed
communal
grazing areas
Poor quality
(salty) water
Long distance to
Markets
Livestock
predators
Erratic
availability of
livestock feeds
in retail shops
MOCHUDI Water shortage
Insufficient
feeds
Stock theft
Labour
Shortages
Frequent
disease
outbreaks
KANG Livestock theft
Livestock
predators
Livestock
diseases
Low prices for
cattle at BMC
High feed costs
MOLEPOLOLE
Overgrazed
pastures5.
Lack of feed
processing
machinery
Bush problem
on uncultivated
land
Lack of market
for crop
residues
Unskilled labour
in farms
14.
Develop strategies to improve natural pastures
Develop strategies to enhance utilization of crop
residues and other local feed resources
Develop strategies to enhance access to and the
water quality
Catalyze linkages amongst actors to improve
availability of livestock feeds and feeding inputs in
retail shops
Potential intervention