farmers turn lush pastures into lifeline for livestock

FARMERS across the Matabeleland region are taking advantage of abundant pastures brought by this season’s good rains to produce silage — a highly nutritious stock feed preserved in pits, silos or bales to sustain livestock during the harsh dry months.

By turning this year’s abundant vegetation into silage, farmers are not only reducing feed costs but also building resilience against future droughts that often threaten livestock production.

After years of erratic rainfall and recurrent droughts, the region is this season experiencing significantly improved rains, which have replenished dams, rivers and streams while triggering the growth of thick pastures across communal areas and farms.

The favourable conditions have also improved the condition of cattle, goats, sheep and donkeys — the backbone of livestock production for most communal farmers in Matabeleland and other parts of the country.

For farmers such as Mr Jairos Mahlangu from Mbalabala in Matabeleland South Province, the season presents an opportunity to prepare for the future.

“For the first time in years, our region is enjoying good rains that started around October 18 last year and have lasted for more than four months,” he said.

“The pastures in communal lands, plots and farms are a clear indication that the rainfall season has been good to us and our livestock are benefiting.”

However, Mr Mahlangu warned farmers against complacency, urging them to take advantage of the surplus vegetation to prepare feed reserves for the dry season.

“Farmers should not sit back and simply enjoy the good rainy season. They must harvest maize stalks, bana grass and other vegetation and convert it into silage while the pastures are still abundant,” he said.

Mr Mahlangu has for years been cultivating bana grass, which he uses as a key component of stock feed for his pedigree Brahman cattle.

According to him, maize stalks harvested from a hectare, when mixed with bana grass, can produce more than 30 tonnes of silage — enough to sustain his herd for months.

“The advantage of producing my own silage is that I do not have to spend money buying stock feed from shops, which ultimately increases my profits when I sell my livestock,” he said.

Another farmer who has embraced silage production is Mr Peter Mukombe, a successful pedigree goat breeder in Umguza District in Matabeleland North Province.

Mr Mukombe, who returned from the United Kingdom several years ago to pursue farming, now runs a thriving Boer goat breeding enterprise at his plot in the Mfazimithi area.
Silage production forms a crucial part of his livestock management strategy.

“We have already managed to produce a second cut from the forage of our sorghum and millet crop. With the good rains this year, we might even be lucky enough to produce a third cut later in the season,” he wrote on his popular Facebook page, Vodloza Boer Goats, which has more than 16 000 followers.

Mr Mukombe produces his own stock feed from crops grown on his plot instead of purchasing commercial feed.
On about three-quarters of a hectare, he has planted maize, sorghum and sunflower — crops that will be processed into silage to ensure that his goats remain well fed even during prolonged droughts.

“Our silage is basically maize mixed with sorghum, compacted in a pit and preserved to retain nutrients. We then add sunflower to provide a balanced diet for the Boer goats,” he said.

“The crops we grew will give us around 50 tonnes of silage, saving us a substantial amount of money that would otherwise go towards buying stock feed.”

Matabeleland South Provincial Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services director Mrs Shupikai Sibanda said such initiatives are critical in drought-prone regions like Matabeleland.

She said fodder preservation through silage and hay making is essential for protecting livestock during the dry season.

Sibanda revealed that the Government has already deployed seven hay balers and seven mowers to assist farmers with harvesting hay through extension officers.

She urged farmers to act while the grazing conditions remain favourable.