Crop livestock integration - the way to go for Zimbabwe

1 Opinion: Crop-livestock integration – Eddington Gororo

Integration of Ruminant Livestock in Arable Cropping Systems in Zimbabwe

By Eddington Gororo

Chinhoyi University of Technology, Zimbabwe

[email protected]

Summary

In this opinion piece, the author argues that crops and ruminant livestock must

complement each other in Zimbabwe’s agricultural system. The role that

ruminant livestock in general and cattle in particular, play in the crop-livestock

farming system is discussed. Major constraints faced in livestock development,

the food-feed debate, and aspects relating to the choice between ruminants

and non-ruminants in the farm system are further highlighted. Finally, aspects

of harmonizing the intensity level of cattle production when integrating it into

a given arable system are explored.

1. The 21st Century livestock Development Dilemma

A few years ago Zimbabwe embarked on a land reform exercise that was meant

to redress the colonial land ownership imbalances and empower the indigenous

black people of the country. As the exercise was fast-tracked, the livestock and

wildlife components were given secondary priority in planning, at the expense

of other farming enterprises. As a result, the national breeding herd

(representing several decades of breeding excellence) went through the

abattoirs as the former farmer packed his bags, while funding in adaptive

research to come up with appropriate technical packages for livestock

production and development to suit what was on the ground dwindled by the

day. It then became a nightmare for the over-zealous new farmer to take the

system of animal production used by the large-scale commercial farmer of the

last century onto his small 21st century farm. It became uneconomic and even

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unsustainable. This further contributed to the continued decline in the national

herd.

It was after the realization of this anomaly that the government then decided

to prioritise the livestock component in agricultural development by setting up

a Livestock Production and Development Department in the Ministry of

Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation Development (MAMID) and more

recently a deputy ministerial portfolio responsible for livestock issues within

the ministry. This is quite commendable and shows that the government is

committed to agriculture as one of the pillars of economy.

The farmer today faces a number of challenges, among them food supply,

climate change, land tenure and farm size limitations. It is quite predictable

that with the now smaller farming units, there will be increasing intensification

and a shift within ruminant production systems, especially from extensive to

intensive rearing and systems combining livestock with arable cropping. The

farmer will definitely need a combination of the right animal (genetics), feed

resources and production system with clear goals. The principal aim should

therefore be improved feeding and nutrition, in which the objective is

maximum use of the available feed resources, notably crop residues and low

quality roughages, and also various leguminous forages as supplements.

Therefore, this article seeks to suggest integration as a possible approach to

the sustainable development of ruminant stock in the country. Integration

leads to diversified land use to provide greater ecological and economic

resilience and a better return from marginal land and crop waste resources.

2. Role of the ruminants animal

The benefits of crop animal interactions are significant, and integrated systems

have had positive impacts on the development of sustainable agriculture, even

on the former large-scale commercial farms. The following are some of the

roles played by ruminant livestock in the integrated modern farm system.


1. Livestock diversify the farming operation by making use of marginal land

and crop residues and waste products, thus cushioning the family against

risk.

2. Livestock provide valuable inputs to the crops at comparatively lower costs;

that is, draught power for cultivation, tending crops and transport (inputs

and crop output) and manure for soil condition.

3. Fodder crop (forage legumes – sirratro, velvet bean, lablab bean – and

grasses such as Katambora Rhodes, etc) production improves the crop

rotation system and helps reduce soil erosion.

4. Ruminant livestock provide an alternative means of marketing cereal and

legume grains by taking advantage of superior or otherwise higher meat

prices (marketing the grains through livestock).

5. Because they increase in number and individual size, livestock such as

cattle, sheep and goats constitute a form of profitable investment or saving

to be drawn on in times of need (e.g., during a drought year or other crop

failure). During good years, surplus income from crops is invested in

livestock and when a drought comes cattle are sold to buy food for the

household. Families who own cattle and indeed any other livestock have a

comparatively better chance of surviving difficult times.

6. Direct food production for the family – animal meat contains protein of

superior quality. Livestock are therefore important as a source of household

food and nutrition security and dietary diversity

7. Livestock are a source of income

8. Livestock convert non-marketable by-products and waste products of crops

(feed grade wheat, barley, crop residues) into marketable products (milk,

goat, mutton and beef)


3. Constraints to the Zimbabwean livestock thrust

3.1. Socio-economic and policy related constraints

3.1.1. Investment in livestock: Lack of financing of livestock farms for

putting up infrastructure, purchase of breeding animals and

veterinary supplies and feed resources. As a result, growth of the

livestock industry has been slow.

3.1.2. Recurrent expenditure: There is lower recurrent expenditure on

government livestock services such as extension and veterinary

services. More numerous staff on the ground has therefore tended

to be less effective due to inadequate operating budgets. Compared

to crops for instance, livestock gets a lower share of the budget in

relation to its output within the economy.

3.1.3. Investment in research: Post-land and agricultural reforms no

adaptive technical packages into which to channel government and

donor investment in livestock were formulated. Investment in

research has generally produced high rates of return, but its long

term. Focusing research on commodities is no longer enough and

should be focused to crop-animal systems especially in cognizance

of the fact that most areas are based on dryland farming.

Opportunities for increasing productivity through research and

development are enormous and merits high priority. Research in

farming systems involving crops and livestock in holistic terms is

weak. The inclusion of animals into cropping systems needs greater

emphasis, to include the development of methodologies to

understand the effects of interactions between sub-systems

(Devendra, 2000).

3.1.4. Poor infrastructure: in terms of road networks, electricity,

markets and cold facilities make commercial production difficult.


3.1.5. Brain drain: The government should be commended for doing a

lot to arrest the export of valuable skills to other countries.

However the highly trained research and development staff on the

ground is under-employed. This is due to inadequate government

support, lack of incentives and performance recognition. Hence

they will remain under qualified and inexperienced.

3.1.6. Poor technology application: Inadequate, inappropriate and

inefficient use of available technologies at farm level is a major

limitation to increased production from animals. Technology

application is particularly weak and is related to a combination of

poorly formulated development peogrammes that often preclude

strong inter-disciplinary team effort and concerted on-farm

application efforts.

3.2. Technical constraints

3.2.1. Feed and nutrition: Due to seasonality and poor soils there is

inadequate feed for all year round productivity. Hence there is need

for conservation and storage. Increased intensification and

efficiency in use of available feeds represents a most important

strategy. It is the principal constraint among the non-genetic

factors, which affect productivity. With ruminants, the food

resources are very much underutilized.

3.2.2. Breed selection: Farmers are not choosing breeds based on the

available resources and their management ability but on genetic

performance of the breeds or because they heard somewhere that a

certain breed is good. There is need to match the animal (genetics)

to the environment (farm size, nutrition, management, production

system, etc.)


3.2.3. Health and disease: Most important diseases reducing animal

productivity and causing major economic losses in Zimbabwe are

Foot and Mouth, Anthrax, Blackleg, tick borne diseases such as

Redwater (Babesiasis), January disease (Theileriosis) and

Heartwater (Anaplasmosis) and internal and external parasites –

ticks, liver fluke, tapeworms, wireworm, etc.

3.2.4. Lack of farm Infrastructure: lack of fencing for proper grazing

management and animal confinement, shortage of dip tanks and

water supplies that dry off in the dry season top the list of

constraints of this nature.

3.2.5. Management: training and skills transfer is still an important

requisite to agricultural development.

3.2.6. Shortage of land: Due to smaller farms, commercial production of

say beef under extensive systems is difficult and uneconomic.

Production in the future will have to be more intensive, efficiently

utilizing resources.

3.2.7. Production efficiency: The efficiency (feed conversion,

production cycle, environmental impact, etc) and profitability of

ruminant enterprises (sheep, cattle and goats) in the short-term are

lower compared to the non-ruminants (pig, broilers, layer chickens)

and other crop enterprises. This is one reason for the excessive

stress on crops by authorities and other stakeholders.

To address most of these constraints, particularly those of an institutional

nature, livestock development agents must be committed to multi-disciplinary,

systems and sustainable development approach. This is particularly important

for research and development of integrated systems of production in specific

ecosystems. There is also need to formulate tailor made and specific adaptive

research programs that address the real needs of the farmers. A reorientation


of livestock development programs is required in the country policy framework

to deal with the now more complex, diverse farming systems and challenges

related to viability, land tenure, farm sizes, competing claims on farm

resources, and climate change and variability. Production must both be

economically and environment sustainable.

4. Premises for the successful integration of livestock in arable cropping systems

In light of the above, it can be said that the livestock thrust cannot be

considered and indeed developed in isolation of other agro enterprises if it is to

be sustainable. I believe it is an organic component of the general social and

economic development of our beloved country. Four propositions for the

successful development of integrated systems of production are highlighted

here, in order of intensity level and degree of independence of the livestock

enterprise. Farmers are advised to start with the first premise until they

mature with time to the highest level.

4.1.1. Ruminant livestock kept as secondary enterprises

The primary and prioritized enterprises are the traditional crops. This obviously

is the starting point. Ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats) are expected to

complement or intensify the primary enterprises through the utilization of non-

marketable and waste products of crops; non-marketable, soil-improving catch

crops; rotational fodder crops (e.g. Katambora in tobacco systems) and fallow

land as well as provide manure for soil amelioration.

4.1.2. Harmonious merger of livestock and crops

Here both livestock and crop enterprises are given the same importance and

the merger is well planned and beneficial to both enterprises, especially for

systems based on tobacco and those where organic fertilizers (manure) are

used. The ruminant livestock must be able to match the crop growing profile,


rotations and commercial background, and contribute to the utilization and

processing of crop waste products (bought in or produced on farm).

4.1.3. An independent ruminant livestock operation

The livestock enterprise here operates as a separate and independent unit. The

livestock arable functions highlighted above (manure, catch crops, rotational

fodder crops, etc.) should be replaced with green manuring, use of inorganic

fertilizers and lime, composting and biomass production for the crop fields.

4.1.4. An ecologically compatible ruminant livestock production

Every serious and sustainability conscious farmer must make this fact their

ultimate goal by paying attention to stocking levels and intensity of utilization

of available resources, particularly the grazing. A lot of information is available

and has been published on optimum stocking and grazing rates.

5. Conclusion

In conclusion, the animal enterprise must be able to grow and mature on its

own with a secure foundation on which to develop and exploit all its

ramifications. And the foundation should be the now dominant and traditional

crop enterprises. Rather than fight the crop thrust, let us be part of it; yet

promoting livestock too.

Crop livestock integration - the way to go for Zimbabwe

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