Step-by-step guide to plan for, manage droughts

Planning for drought preparedness can minimise the impact of drought to some extent on a farm business, but the effectiveness of the plan depends on the time it is implemented.

Agribank’s technical advisor for livestock and rangeland management, Erastus Ngaruka, said, in general, there is a huge cost burden on livestock farmers in Namibia as a result of the degraded rangelands and water scarcity, which are exacerbated by climatic events such as drought and high temperatures.

“Therefore, emphasis should be placed on integrated rangeland and water management systems to harmonise the use of the two resources.”

The agricultural sector is fundamental to livelihoods in Namibia; however, it faces several challenges associated with climate change.

“The effects of climate change are evident as Namibian farmers have endured recurring unfavourable rainfall seasons that present distinct conditions or events such as floods, droughts, pests and disease outbreaks, amongst others," he said.



Adjust and adapt

Ngaruka said drought conditions in particular are recurrent and emerge every second year or season, with varying severity across the country.

These conditions have been devastating to both crop and livestock farmers, robbing them of optimal productivity and income due to poor yields, poor livestock performance and unfavourable market prices, amongst others.

“To this end, farmers need to re-assess their farm business annually or more regularly and develop plans and strategies that will help them withstand the recurrent harsh drought conditions.”

He noted that there is no standard recipe for managing drought, and farmers have to adjust and adapt to the changing conditions.

Therefore, self-assessments should consider the availability of forage (grazing), water, fodder and financial resources with consideration of rainfall activities to make informed and timely decisions.

Take immediate action

He advised that drought planning should be an ongoing process to ensure that responsive measures are implemented at any stage before, during, and after a drought. It is advisable that decisions or strategies adopted strive to be economical and sustainable.

“This may not be easy given other prevailing conditions, such as low livestock prices and high costs of livestock feed."

However, farmers should not delay their decisions and actions.

Ngaruka warned that too often, farmers wait and hope for improved rainfall and livestock prices, at the detriment of livestock conditions. Ultimately, they are forced to sell livestock at unfavourable prices.

As such, a drought preparedness plan can assist farmers in mitigating the impact of drought on their farming operations.

Ngaruka said preparatory assessment and strategies entail establishing and responding timely to early warning systems at local, farm and national levels.

These include recording and monitoring local rainfall figures, establishing rainfall pattern trends over time, and linking them to rangeland status and other environmental conditions.

Furthermore, Ngaruka advised that an assessment of finances in relation to the costs associated with drought, such as feeding, relocating and selling livestock, is important.

He said the assessment should take into account the budget and the source of funding, whether from own savings, sales of farm products, grants, subsidies or loans, among others.



Livestock, water management

In terms of strategic livestock management, animals should be segregated or managed as per their different categories and specific requirements.

For example, lactating cows and dry cows do not have the same feeding needs; thus, their management, feed and associated costs will differ.

“Farmers need to take note that feed supplements can be formulated for either production or maintenance purposes.”

Ngaruka also advised farmers to maintain a farm fodder flow plan that considers feed sources. These can be fodder produced or sourced from farm resources, for example, cultivated pastures, crop residues and harvested forage materials.

He said one of the best approaches to cutting feed costs is to produce your own fodder or source cheap feed that can add value through processing, for example, by milling and combining nutritional additives or feed ingredients such as molasses, among others.

Apart from processed feed, farmers should also regularly assess the grazing conditions to establish if there are sufficient grazing materials to sustain their animals during difficult times.

Ngaruka highlighted the importance of considering farm carrying capacity or stocking rate, especially on commercial or fenced-off farmlands. This entails timely adjustments to livestock numbers based on the forage available to prevent overgrazing. Additionally, implementing a sustainable water management plan is crucial for mitigating the impact of drought on farmlands.

The plan needs to consider sustainable water (rain and underground) harvesting and utilisation through the development of catchment areas or appropriate harvesting techniques, storage and sustainable use.

He advised that planning should also include a drought recovery plan where farm productivity must recover to its previous or optimal potential given the prevailing conditions.

“These can be at farm and national levels, for example, livestock restocking plans, financial recovery plans or national agricultural recovery and sustainability plans in general.”