Mixed System: Communal Grazing

Mixed communal grazing systems are defined as systems where communal grazing areas are the principal feed resource base for livestock, where crop residues are grazed and where animals are kept in a kraal or paddock at night.

The system is mainly found in semi-arid, sub-humid and mountain areas with a low population density. It refers to:

- sedentary pastoralists also growing crops; and
- crop farmers also keeping livestock

Sedentary pastoralists growing crops are by profession livestock farmers. In general they grow crops to limit the sale of livestock to cover food requirements and other basic needs. Manure availability can be high but crop yields can still be low due to poor cultivation practices, labour constraints the during growing season, poor rainfall and/or cultivation on marginal soils. Crop types cultivated can be different from those grown by crop farmers. The main objective of the farmers to grow crops it is (re-) possessing livestock as main asset (security fund) and source of income.

Animals are well looked after. Principal production objectives are reproduction to produce animals for sale and to increase herd size, and milk production for home consumption and to exchange for grain. Large and small ruminants are herded together in mixed herds or herded separately, cattle by young men and small ruminants by children.

Crop farmers keeping livestock are by profession crop farmers. The principal production objective of crop farmers is to keep livestock as a savings account. In addition livestock can be used to provide draught power and/or to transport plant nutrients and organic matter from crop fields and communal areas to the farm. Large ruminants are kept in village / family herds grazing communal areas. Small ruminants are often herded by children and looked after by women. In general households own a mix of small (sheep and goats) and large ruminants (cattle or buffalo) but aspire to possess more large ruminants.

The principal Livestock Environment Interaction is the import of organic matter and plant nutrients from communal areas through livestock depositing manure on farm (land).

Together with farmers from grazing systems and other mixed farming systems the farmers of the mixed communal grazing system make use communal resources (pastures and water). In general there is a decrease in overall availability of these resources while there is still an increase in overall livestock numbers. An increase in competition can result in a switch from communal grazing to other mixed farming systems, most likely first to crop residues, followed by cut and carry, and feed from farm sub-systems. Changes in the prevalence of systems can be an indication for a response to such a pressure.

The potential of the mixed communal grazing system to produce more animal products for an increasing urban demand is very limited.

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