Sustainable options in communal beef cattle grazing systems in the Matatiele Local Municipality of the Eastern Cape, South Africa

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores three communal beef cattle grazing systems practiced in the Matatiele Local Municipality. Beef cattle production in communal areas remains a potential source to increase the beef supply in South Africa. However, communal beef production faces challenges such as uncertain land tenure, forage shortage and lack of proper management. This leads to systems that are functioning below the optimum possible production level and contributing to environmental degradation, and that are often not economically viable. The identified communal beef cattle grazing systems are, modified the holistic planned grazing (HPG), continuous grazing, and rotational rest grazing. The systems were investigated in terms of their contribution to financial and ecological sustainability.A mixed methods approach was adopted, where the meta-analysis study was conducted to determine the effects of continuous and rotational grazing systems on cattle weight gain and profitability. A case study research was adopted to collect data and techniques included interviews, focus group interview, grazing site observations, telephonic follow-up interviews and artefact identification. The data that was collected include information on how grazing systems are implemented and managed on a daily basis, financial and environmental status. An Ecological index methodology was employed to measure the impact of each grazing system on the environment, by measuring variables such as biomass production, percentage of litter, bare ground, potential grazing capacity, and the veld condition score of the grazing area.The outcomes of the study indicated that the modified HPG system had an initial R94 602.00 capital investment in infrastructure needed to operate the system. Furthermore, the daily management of this grazing system is systematic, and key grazing management records kept included rangeland condition score, stocking rate and livestock numbers. The financial analysis indicated that the payback period is three years, assuming that everything remains constant and the farmers reinvest the revenue generated through sales of livestock into the system.The absence of state support to farmers, led to the implementation of the continuous grazing system, because it requires minimum or no investment in infrastructure. This system is skewed in that the cattle are managed and not the grazing area. The rotational rest grazing system ensures that 25% of the grazing area is rested for a full growing season, while 75% is grazed on, but less attention is paid to cattle-stocking rate. The cost of implementing and managing this type of system required a budget allocation of R126 500.00, and no fencing infrastructure is needed to divide grazing camps. The financial and ecological sustainability contribution of these grazing systems in the short term is variable. The modified HPG and Rotational rest grazing systems depend on external funding to cover operational costs and cattle stocking rate that are above the grazing capacity also degrades the environment. However, hypothetical scenarios indicate that in the long run all these system have potential to be financially viable as a result of improved veld condition. The findings of the study agree with the literature review in that the outputs of both the continuous and the rotational grazing management systems are area-specific.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University