Grasslands of the World.pdf - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP

Grasslands of South Africa 107
DRYLAND FODDER
Dryland fodder production is only possible in the higher-rainfall regions of the
country. The principal form of dryland fodder is cereal crop residues , which
make an important contribution to livestock diets in communal areas during
the dry season . Some communal area farmers collect and store at least part of
their residues to feed to selected animals, such as milch cows and draught oxen,
but most is utilized in situ.
Cultivation of rainfed crops in South Africa is widespread in both freehold
and communal land use systems . The most significant commercial grain producing
areas are the maize triangle of the central high-veldt, the wheat growing
region of the southwestern Cape and the maize growing regions of central
Kwa-Zulu Natal. Maize is widely preferred as the staple food in the communal
areas, but millet and sorghum are more reliable crops apart from in the
highest-rainfall zones . National cereal production (roughly 80 percent maize,
16 percent wheat and 4 percent others, including millet and sorghum) fluctuates
considerably from year to year according to rainfall. Production has varied
from a low of 5 044 000 t in the drought year of 1991/92 to a record high of
15 966 000 t in 1993/94 (Table 3.8). It is difficult to assess what proportion crop
residues contribute to national production as no research has been published,
but it is thought to be considerable in areas of commercial rainfed cultivation
(>600 mm mean annual rainfall).
In drier central and western zones , farmers commonly have small areas
of drought -tolerant fodders (e.g. Agave americana , Opuntia spp. or Atriplex
nummalaria ) as a drought reserve .
IRRIGATED FODDER
Irrigation has two main functions in the humid summer rainfall regions. In
winter it is used for temperate pasture species such as ryegrass and in summer
it is used to supplement rainfall. In winter, the temperate species are completely
dependant upon irrigation for survival and it can only be justified in intensive
production systems such as dairy or the production of fat lambs.
TABLE 3.8
Commercial field crop production for South Africa from 1992 to 2000 (×1000 t).
Crop 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Maize 3 277 9 997 13 275 4 866 10 171 10 136 7 693 7 946 10 584
Wheat 1 324 1 983 1 840 1 977 2 711 2 428 1 787 1 725 2 122
Green corn 266 262 278 279 280 290 292 299 300
Barley 265 230 275 300 176 182 215 90 142
Groundnuts 132 150 174 117 215 157 108 163 169
Sorghum 118 515 520 290 535 433 358 223 352
Soybeans 62 68 67 58 80 120 200 174 148
Oats 45 47 37 38 33 30 25 22 25
Total crops 5 044 12 727 15 966 7 491 13 647 13 229 10 098 10 024 13 244
SOURCE: FAO database.