Effective veld management lacking in South Africa

Scientists forecast that by 2050 grass cultivation would need to increase by 80% to accommodate future growth in the livestock sector and the rising consumer demand for meat.

- Advertisement -

However, research shows that current grasslands will struggle to accommodate more livestock.

According to a paper published in Nature Communications, grassland degradation is likely to accelerate given the expected growth in livestock farming.

Dr Wayne Truter, a pasture scientist at the University of Pretoria Department of Plant Production and Soil Science, said that he is worried about the current and future state of South Africa’s pastures.

- Advertisement -

“Natural pastures are experiencing significant degradation because pasture management has always been the step child of agriculture. The drought has been a huge wake-up call about the value of pastures,” Truter said.

He said that pasture management should be a priority research area, particularly as extreme weather events such as droughts intensify as a result of climate change.

“Everyone has noticed the effect of climate change on our pastures and research isn’t even addressing the challenges we are facing in pasture management right now,” he said.