02 Sep 2014

Okavango Research Institute will facilitate a workshop for farmers and stakeholders in Ngamiland region to discuss range management.

The workshop would be held on August 29 at Maun Lodge when Dr Richard Fynn, a rangeland ecologist at the institute is expected to facilitate.

A key area for research in the Ngamiland region is livestock and rangeland management to serve the important livestock industry in Botswana.

A statement from the institute indicates that the research both locally and in collaboration with international range ecologists has led to important advancements on optimal strategies for rangeland management that improve livestock production and profitability that includes range improvement.

It further stated that years of rangeland experimental research have demonstrated that complex rotational grazing systems generally have no advantages over simple continuous grazing systems.

 The institute would demonstrate conceptual and theoretical reasons for this.

It would also demonstrate a much simpler way to manage rangelands that is far more conceptually rigorous and sound; much simpler and cheaper to implement and maintain and as a consequence.

The concept is reported to be ideal for rural farmers or farmers developing new ranches who cannot afford massive financial outlays on fencing.  

Where the ranching system has been put in place in South Africa, great results are being experienced with large increases in profitability and improvement of rangeland condition and productivity, says the statement. ENDS