NEWS
Regenerative grazing : realising maximum sustainable profit / ha
Although ultra-high-density grazing is still quite controversial in some circles , many farmers have had good results when using it as a means to restore veld and increase carrying capacity .
Susan Marais
Current Address : Farmer ’ s Weekly Reprinted From : https :// bit . ly / 3IX0cLB
In a society where ‘ economies of scale ’ has been the buzz phrase for decades , it seems strange that a farmer could be more profitable on a smaller scale .
Yet this is exactly what happened when Hannes Botha , a farmer running a mixed enterprise near Carolina , Mpumalanga , introduced regenerative farming practices on his farm , Fairview .
“ I was able to double my farm ’ s carrying capacity in a single season ; it was like buying a second farm ,” Botha said during a recent regenerative agriculture webinar .
A few years prior to this journey towards restoration , Botha had tried to implement precision farming . It had cost an arm and a leg , yet had brought very little improvement to his operation . He began researching alternative farming techniques and started learning from regenerative farming pioneers , including Allan Savory , Elaine Ingham and Dr Christine Jones .
“ This opened a new world to me . I came to realise that conventional agricultural practices have a negative impact on the environment and people .”
Botha , a third-generation farmer , has been practising regenerative agriculture for three seasons .
By implementing the knowledge that he gained and using the tools he already had , he changed his livestock management programme to an ultra-high-density grazing ( UHDG ) system and , within a single season , was able to double the veld ’ s carrying capacity .
Healthy soil , healthy cattle
North West cattle farmer DF Fyfer , owner of Bhetjane Cattle Co , also uses UHDG on his farm near Louwna . He says that one of the most important departure points of regenerative agriculture is the realisation that healthy veld does not start and end with good grass cover , but that the health of the soil is equally important . Moreover , healthy soil and cattle are interconnected .
“ Everything we do on our farm is aimed at increasing the veld ’ s carrying capacity and adding value to our products .”
The objective of such a UHDG system is to create smaller camps to be utilised by ultra-high stock rates for short periods .
After grazing , each camp is allowed to rest for longer periods .
“ I moved away from conventional agricultural farming practices when I realised it doesn ’ t make sense to spend more and more for the same or smaller profit . I also realised that higher yields don ’ t necessarily equate to higher profits .” Figure 1 . A homogenous landscape optimised for livestock production ( A ), and ( B ) a heterogeneous landscape for livestock production and biodiversity conservation . DF Fyfer uses a special cattle breed , Adaptor , which has been bred for the veld conditions on his farm near Louwna in North West . Photo : Bhetjane Cattle Co
Grassroots Vol 22 No 2 July 2022 12