A drought action plan for livestock farmers

Drought seems to have become a permanent part of Southern Africa’s weather patterns, but many farmers are still caught unaware, and suffer accordingly.

Southern Africa has always experienced droughts, but in the past they didn’t seem to linger for as long as they do these days.

Spring rain seems to have largely disappeared, while summer rains appear to be arriving later and later.

Many areas now receive rain only in late December, and by February the rain has stopped falling.

Communal farmers should work collectively or in large groups to plant crops such as Smuts finger grass as summer feed or oats as a winter feed crop.

Here are some additional strategies to help your farming enterprise through a drought:

·         Whether you farm as an individual or a community, save enough money to buy supplementary feed. Stockpile this feed before prices start to rise and feed becomes scarce.

·         Budget properly. Work out the exact daily cost of the supplementary feed. For example, one 25kg Lucerne bale a day will keep 10 sheep and two cattle in reasonably good shape. But if used as a supplement during grass scarcity, one bale can feed 20 sheep and four cattle a day. (Remember, though, that the animals will start losing condition if they are fed only this.)

·         If your funds are depleted, cut grass where you can find it and lay it in an old bath. There, cut it into 10cm pieces with a hedge clipper. Use a watering can to add a light sprinkling of a molasses supplement such as LS 33 and a sprinkling of crushed maize.

·         Start supplementary feeding before the animals become too thin. If they can no longer stand, they seldom recover.

Stocking strategy

Reduce livestock numbers before the grass is depleted. If necessary, sell old female animals and all male animals (younger male animals can be marketed to feedlot enterprises, while older ones can be sold for slaughter).

Keep young female animals as they can help you rebuild your flock/herd. Funds from the sale of the other animals should enable you to buy supplementary feed or plant feed crops.

Finally, ensure that all your livestock are vaccinated, dipped and dewormed before the drought arrives. This will help prevent opportunistic infections and diseases from afflicting your animals when they are nutritionally compromised.