Valorisation of Rangeland Encroacher Bush as a Ruminant Animal Fodder in Namibia

By: John Mupangwa

Namibia faces a significant challenge with rangeland bush encroachment, which affects an estimated 45 million hectares of land, severely reducing productive capacity of herbaceous species and negatively affecting the habitats and biodiversity of both flora and fauna. In addition, the encroacher bush reduces ground water recharge capacity in the rangelands. However, this environmental problem is increasingly being viewed as a valuable resource with immense potential for valorisation within Namibia’s developing bio-economy.

Namibia is actively promoting value addition as an economic incentive for sustainable rangeland bush control focusing on diversifying the products that can be obtained from the encroacher bush. One of the bush value chains being developed is bush-based feed production. This was the focus of the Community Action Research Project (CARP) the University of Namibia (UNAM) undertook with African Wild Dog Conservancy community in Okondjatu Communal area with the support of RUFORUM, as there has been lack of research that covers the utilisation of encroacher bush species as a feed resource for ruminant production in Namibia.

The project was born from a fodder demand by livestock farmers during the 2019/2020 drought that affected Namibia. Without any grass grazing available, an opportunity to utilise the rangeland encroacher bush as fodder arose. The livestock farmers, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform and UNAM formed a collaborative team to investigate the utilisation of the bush as ruminant livestock feed.

The CARP team used field research, farmer training and development trials of bush-based feeds. The research focused on bush species that were gazetted by the government as encroacher species and required control in order to open up the rangeland for herbaceous plant growth, create ideal habitats for game animals and livestock grazing. Additionally, the interventions applied contributed to the implementation of the National Rangeland Management Policy and Strategy.

Project Outcomes

The implementation of the project resulted in the production of milled bush that was conserved either as dry meal pellets or silage. The conservation of milled bush was an important contribution to the project for a sustainable livestock feed production from the encroacher bush. It enabled the production of fodder which farmers used during the dry season and drought years to feed their livestock contributing to household food and nutrition security through availability of animal source food such as milk and meat, and other services provided by livestock such as increased income, manure, and drought power.

Bush-based feed

The bush-based fodder can be produced from the encroacher woody species for use as a dry season or drought feed reserve. In order to harvest a bush with high nutritional quality, the project learned that it is best to harvest the bush at full leaf growth stage i.e. April – May period in Namibia. Capacity development of the community was central in the successful implementation of the project. The learning and realisation by farmers on the processes involved in bush fodder production enabled them to feel confident in their ability to make the feed and also open opportunity for community entrepreneurship.

Boer goats fed bush-based feed

• Change Mechanics:

The project contributed to the incorporation of bush-based fodder production and rangeland rehabilitation in the Animal Science modules for first and second year students at UNAM.

• Results:

There has been an increase in the adoption of bush-based feed production and utilisation by livestock farmers in the project area. In addition, there is an increase in collaboration with the Namibia National Farmers Union that has led to farmers from other regions of the country being trained on bush-based feed production.

• Strategic Insights:

The project provides important insights into the importance of incorporating encroacher bush as a fodder resource into the national livestock feed security policy. The innovation of using bush as fodder will make it a strategic feed resource which requires sustainable management in order to ensure animal feed security in this era of climate change and the frequent droughts that are faced by the country.

• Meet John Kandiimuine – African Wild Dogs
• Meet Portia Murorua – University of Namibia