Staff Reporter
THE grazing conditions within the country have been significantly compromised primarily due to unfavourable rainfall patterns and extended dry spells witnessed during the 2022/23 rainfall season.
This is according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform’s second Crop and Household Food Security Monitoring Assessment, conducted from the 8 May to the 6June 2023. According to the assessment, the livestock sector, particularly in the southern, eastern, and central regions of the country, has been grappling with insufficient grazing resources throughout the 2022/23 rainfall season due to subpar grazing conditions stemming from inadequate rainfall.
“Grazing conditions in most parts of the country has significantly become limited which is largely attributed to poor rainfall conditions which have dominated the 2022/2023 rainfall season. In Most regions, grazing is reported to vary between fair to very poor with no rainfall water available in most catchment areas,” the report reads.
The assessment additionally describes the grazing situations in the //Kharas and substantial portions of the Otjozondjupa regions as ranging from fair to poor. Similar challenges are faced by the Hardap Region, particularly in its western and southern areas, which are considerably affected by drought. Consequently, farmers have initiated the use of dry veld licks to provide additional minerals and proteins to their livestock.
The report highlights that the Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena, and Oshikoto regions have also reported fair to poor grazing conditions. These areas have experienced sporadic rainfall accompanied by severe dry spells. Moreover, the report notes, the Kunene region’s grazing conditions are relatively fair but fragile due to the minimal rainfall recorded during the season.
Regarding livestock well-being, the report reveals that the livestock body conditions in the //Kharas, Hardap, Otjozondjupa, Kunene, and Kavango West regions range from fair to poor. Conversely, livestock in the Zambezi, Kavango East, Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana, and Oshikoto regions display body conditions ranging from good to fair.
Nonetheless, the report underscores that as the dry season advances and grazing conditions deteriorate in various parts of the country, it is projected that the livestock’s body condition will decline, potentially leading to increased livestock fatalities.
“The overall grazing conditions is expected to worsen throughout the country during the dry season and many farmers will need Government intervention to better the situation and avoid high livestock mortalities as a result of drought,” the report added.
Leave a Reply