Senwes Scenario Desember - Februarie 2020 | Page 19

AGRICULTURAL | LANDBOUKUNDIG
for Animal Production
Improving Productivity
and Sustainability
The world’s population growth will demand more food between now and 2050 than was
produced during the previous 8 000 years. The key for the next few decades will be to
deliver a new and innovative model of animal production that balances innovation with
sustainability.
 Dr Kobus Swart
Animal Nutrition Specialist
DEMAND FOR MEAT PRODUCTION
T
here are more or less 13.0 million
head of cattle in South Africa with
a well-developed and mature com-
mercial sector and an informal, non-com-
mercial sector with smallholder and
subsistence farmers. In South Africa, as
in most of the countries in the sub-tropics,
livestock production is the only option on
about 70% of the agricultural land, since
the marginal soils and rainfall do not allow
for crop production and the utilisation
of green water. In spite of primary beef
cattle farming (cow-calf production cycle)
being largely extensive in South Africa,
more than 75% of cattle slaughtered in
the formal sector is finished in feedlots on
maize and its by-products.
The beef supply chain has become
increasingly vertically integrated. This
integration is mainly fuelled by the feedlot
industry where most of the large feed-
lots own their own abattoirs, or at least
have some business interest in certain
abattoirs. There are some 100 feedlots in
South Africa and around 430 abattoirs. In
addition, some feedlots have integrated
further down the value chain and sell
directly to consumers through their own
retail outlets. Some abattoirs have also
started to integrate vertically towards the
wholesale level. There is a huge oppor-
tunity too, because on a global level the
current animals reach only 60% to 70%
of their full genetic potential with huge
differences among countries and between
farms within countries.
Traditional livestock systems will conti­
nue to evolve towards more intensive inte-
grated farming modes that control inputs
and outputs to minimise the impact and
improve efficiency. This creates a huge
responsibility for the livestock sector.
ANIMAL PRODUCTION AS PART OF
A CIRCULAR BIO-ECONOMY
The economy of livestock production and
agriculture in general is mainly linear in
structure. The circular bio-economy is
an emerging model for more sustainable
industrial and agricultural development.
Circular economy is an alternative to a
traditional linear economy (make, use,
dispose) in which we keep resources in
use for as long as possible. It combines
two key sustainability concepts. Firstly,
it involves using more renewable and
bio-based resources for value-added
products, like food, energy, chemicals
and materials, by utilising organic waste
streams like crop residues and manures,
which can remain within the agricul-
tural system. Biodegradable products
are returned to the environment and
they thereby re-enter the nutrient cycle.
Secondly, it keeps those sustainable
materials and products in use longer
through sharing, re-using, remanufactur-
ing and recycling – instead of throwing
them away after a single or limited use.
Circular economy is the road to achieve
the harmonious development between
economy and environment.
Animal production will have to adapt
to take part in the benefits of productivity,
profitability and sustainability of a circular
economy.
EFFICIENT AND ROBUST ANIMALS
ADAPTED TO NEW FEED SOURCES
Improving the efficiency of animals will
allow the reduction of resource use and
will also contribute to the reduction of
environmental impact. The FCR (feed
conversion ratio) has already significantly
decreased in the past years through suc-
cessful breeding and increasing the ener-
gy concentration of the diets. But today,
FCR needs to go a step further when live-
stock have to be fed rations with lower or
more variable energy (and protein) con-
centration. More than 90% of feed used
for beef production is inedible by humans,
so cattle make a net positive contribution
SENWES SCENARIO | SOMER • SUMMER 2020
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