Farmers told to cut unproductive cattle ahead of El Niño drought

Farmers have been urged to reduce unproductive cattle, conserve feed and protect water sources as concerns grow over erratic rainfall during the El Niño season.

Speaking to CITE, animal specialist Nqobani Manyabi said that many farmers are behind schedule in preparing for the dry season, warning that expected rainfall may not be enough to sustain crops and livestock.

“We are already in the El Niño season. The season started in June. By this time, the rains should have started. Reports are saying that the rains will be erratic, meaning the rains we are going to receive won’t be able to support our crops or our animals,” he said.

Manyabi said farmers should prioritise quality over quantity, as large herds put more pressure on limited feed and water during drought.

“We have to live by new rules. The first rule is to shift from quantity to quality because drought punishes big herds,” he said.

“You have to remove highly unproductive cows. You cannot keep cows that skip their time of giving birth, or a cow that gives birth to a calf that is below the weight of your farm goals. You cannot keep cows that are always sick. You have to downsize and keep quality cows.”

He urged farmers to assess whether their available feed will last until December or January if rains fail to arrive, and to treat water as their most important resource.

“Water is now your number one crop. It is the most important thing in your operation. If there are taps that are leaking, if cows destroy the pipes, they must be fixed. You have to protect your water sources and reduce the distance your animals walk to get water so they preserve energy,” he said.

“We recommend that you have one water point per ten hectares.”

Manyabi also encouraged farmers to grow drought-resistant fodder crops and conserve crop residues for feed.

“Some may plant spineless cactus, which has about 80 per cent water, so if your animals take that, they will need less water,” he said.

“Feed is something that you make, not something that you buy. You have to conserve hay bales, get the leaves of maize cobs and stock as much as possible. You have to conserve crop residues and fortify them using urea treatment.”

He said treating residues with urea improves their nutritional value, palatability and digestibility.

The method involves using 50kg of urea and 200 litres of water for every 1,000kg of dry stover. The stover should be added to a pit lined with black polythene in 100kg stacks, with each stack sprayed with 20 litres of water and then compacted to improve ammoniation and reduce mould.

The pit should then be covered with black plastic and soil on top. Treatment takes 21 to 35 days depending on season and temperature, and the treated stover should be kept in shade for seven days before feeding.

Many types of residue can be used, including wheat straw, rice straw and maize stover, with the poorest quality material showing the greatest improvement.

“Research shows that by replacing untreated stover with treated stover, animals of 100 to 150kg body weight will lose 50 to 100g per day if fed on only untreated stover, whereas they will gain 50 to 100g per day when fed on treated stover alone,” he said.