Basic principles of veld management for sustainable production

Good veld management does not require extraordinary measures - it is about applying basic principles consistently and effectively. This article outlines the most important of these principles.

- By Dr Louis du Pisani, specialist agricultural consultant

1 Synchronise grazing capacity with stocking rate

Stocking rate refers to the number of animals a producer keeps on the farm. Not managing stocking rate properly has direct consequences, as shown in Figure 1.

For example, a producer with 100 animals on a 1 000ha farm applies a stocking rate of one animal/10ha. If the rate is reduced to one animal/20ha, the farm is understocked. This results in excellent performance per animal but poor profitability per hectare. Botanist John Acocks described this as understocked and overgrazed.

On the other hand, applying a rate of one animal/5ha leads to overutilisation, meaning there isn't enough feed for the animals on the farm. Here, the veld produces only 500kg of usable feed/ha/year, while the herd requires 1 000kg/ha/year. In effect, the veld supplies just 50% of the animals' needs. The result is chronically undernourished animals, poor production (both per animal and per hectare), reduced herd profitability, and ultimately veld degradation dominated by inferior grazing plants.

The goal is to align livestock numbers with the farm's carrying capacity - the optimal stocking rate (Figure 1). This 'sweet spot' as it is also called, balances veld production and animal requirements, ensuring sustainable use and maximum profit/ha.

Key considerations

A stocking rate that is in balance with the farm is not the only veld management tool - it is merely the starting point and must be applied alongside other veld management practices. Relying on stocking rate alone is like using one pair of pliers for every task - you may get by, but not effectively.