Assessment of feed and feeding systems in the beef value chains in Botswana

Assessment of feed and feeding systems in the beef value chains in Botswana
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
  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
 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
 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
 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
 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
 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
  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
 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%
 Crop residues 5% Cultivated fodder 17% Grazing 55% Naturally occurring and collected 22% Purchased 1% ME content of total diet Dietary composition in mixed crop systems Crop residues 6% Cultivate d fodder 15% Grazing 57% Naturally occurring and collected 21% Purchase d 1% DM content of total diet Crop residues 7% Cultivate d fodder 22% Grazing 47% Naturally occurring and collected 23% Purchase d 1% CP content of total diet
Crop residues 13% Cultivated fodder 0% Grazing 78% Naturally occurring and collected 4% Purchased 5% ME content of total diet Dietary composition in pastoral systems Crop residues 13% Cultivated fodder 0% Grazing 76% Naturally occurring and collected 3% Purchased 8% DM content of total diet Crop residues 12% Cultivated fodder 0% Grazing 74% Naturally occurring and collected 4% Purchased 10% CP content of total diet
 Available Feed Resources Mixed crop livestock systems 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Availablity Concentrates Crop residues Grazing Green forage Legume residues Others Rainfall Pattern Mainly pastoral systems 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Availablity Concentrates Crop residues Grazing Green forage Legume residues Others Rainfall Pattern
 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
  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
  THANK YOU The End

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