Optimizing livelihood and environmental benefits from crop residues in

smallholder crop-livestock systems in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia:

Southern Africa case study

Sabine Homann-Kee Tui and Andre van Rooyen

SLP Crop Residues Project Review and Planning Meeting, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 9-10 December 2010.

Drivers and trends of agriculture in southern Africa

Source: Adopted from Capacity Development Initiative in Modernizing Food Systems—Michigan State, Makerere, Stellenbosch and Pretoria Universities, 2010)

Strong urbanization and income growth

Growing food markets and changes in composition (more meat, dairy, fresh and processed food)

5-6 times the marketed food between 2010 and 2050

Increasing demand for livestock products

South Africa: Imports of livestock products

$0

$100,000,000

$200,000,000

$300,000,000

$400,000,000

$500,000,000

$600,000,000

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

SADC World-SADC

Source: www.sadctrade.org

Low mono-modal rain

High rainfall variability

Limited water

Low inherent soil fertility

Strong predicted impact of climate change

Source: ICRISAT GIS, 2010

Angola

South Africa

Namibia

Zambia

MozambiqueBotswana

Zimbabwe

Malawi

Lesotho

Swaziland

$Nkayi

$Changara

$Mzimba

Dry SAT

Wet SAT

Trends in crop production

Malawi

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

1970

1973

1976

1979

1982

1985

1988

1991

1994

1997

2000

2003

2006

Are

a h

arve

sted

(00

0 00

0 h

a)

Maize Groundnuts, Cow peas Sorghum Millet

Mozambique

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

1970

1973

1976

1979

1982

1985

1988

1991

1994

1997

2000

2003

2006

Are

a h

arve

sted

(00

0 00

0 h

a)

Maize Sorghum Groundnuts Millet

Sluggish growth of maize area harvested, while all other crops are

stagnant

Zimbabwe

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

1970

1973

1976

1979

1982

1985

1988

1991

1994

1997

2000

2003

2006

Are

a h

arve

sted

(00

0 00

0ha)

Maize Millet Groundnuts Sorghum

Source: FAO Stat

Stagnant sorghum area harvested in SA as compared to area expansion in WCA and EA

Sluggish growth in maize yields in Malawi, while all other crops are stagnant

Malawi

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

1970

1973

1976

1979

1982

1985

1988

1991

1994

1997

2000

2003

2006

2009

Yie

ld (

Hg

/ha)

Maize Groundnuts Sorghum Cow peas Millet

Mozambique

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

1970

1973

1976

1979

1982

1985

1988

1991

1994

1997

2000

2003

2006

2009

Yie

ld (

Ha/

ha)

Maize Sorghum Millet Groundnuts

Zimbabwe

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

1970

1973

1976

1979

1982

1985

1988

1991

1994

1997

2000

2003

2006

2009

Yie

ld (

Hg

/ha)

Maize Groundnuts Sorghum Millet

Source: FAO Stat

Sluggish growth in maize yields in middle and low income countries, against drastic increases in higher income countries

Maize production from surplus (123% self sufficiency in 1970s) to deficit (97%) in 2000-04 (Minot, 2007)

Source: Olubode-Awosola, et al., 2008

Malawi

-500

500

1500

2500

3500

4500

5500

6500

1970

1973

1976

1979

1982

1985

1988

1991

1994

1997

2000

2003

2006

Nu

mb

er o

f an

imal

s (1

,000

h

ead

s)

Goats Cattle Sheep

Mozambique

-500

500

1500

2500

3500

4500

5500

6500

1970

1973

1976

1979

1982

1985

1988

1991

1994

1997

2000

2003

2006

Nu

mb

er o

f an

imal

s (1

,000

h

ead

s)

Goats Cattle Sheep

Trends in livestock production

Stagnant cattle populationsDeclining number of cattle per

capita

The number of goats has doubled since the 1980s

Zimbabwe

-500500

150025003500450055006500

1970

1973

1976

1979

1982

1985

1988

1991

1994

1997

2000

2003

2006N

um

ber

of

anim

als

(1,0

00

hea

ds)

Cattle Goats Sheep

Source: Ncube et al., 2009

Reasons for limited grain legumes in Zimbabwe

Crop livestock systems in the project countries:

Low

Low High

Mozambique

Malawi

Zimbabwe

Crop production

Live

stoc

k pr

oduc

tion

Where are countries now?

What criteria define that?

Where will they be in 10 years?

How can we facilitate the change?

Context that influences crop residue utilizationMozambique Zimbabwe Malawi

Economic growth

Population in agriculture (%, 2005)

Agriculture in GDP (%, 2000-06)

Annual agric. GDP growth (% 2006-07)

Agric. expenditure (% nat. budget, 2006) Livestock / agric.GDP (%, 2002)

Food aid ('000t grain equ. 2003-05)

75.4

23.2

7.0

3.914.8

171.5

59.7

14.1

-5.4

N/A (6.2 2004)

34.0

238.8

75.0

33.6

7.4

13.2

9.9

116.5

Socio economics

Human population density (pers km-2)

Dual agricultural sectors

HIV/AIDS (% adults, 2002)

23.6

Existing, small scale farmers and

estates

12.2

33.2

Broke recently, new chances for small

scale farmers

24.6.

126.0

Existing, small scale farmers and estates

14.2

Policy

Focus of agricultural policies

Land tenure

Crops; frequent changes poorly implemented

Customary and title deeds

Crops; poorly adjusted to small

scale farmers

Recent fast track land reform

Crops; subsidized

inputs, irrigation

Customary and title deeds

Mozambique Zimbabwe Malawi

Farming systems

Crop livestock integration

Market integration

Low

Low

Emerging

Adjusting

High

Limited

Crops

Area harvested to cereals (‘000 000 ha, 2005)

Fertilizer consumption (kg ha-1, 2010)

Fertilizer cons. growth rate (%, 2002-05)

2.0

5

-35.5

1.7

>50

-5.8

1.5

39

23.7

Livestock

Livestock populations (Mio heads, 2002)

Stocking densities (LU/ agric. land km2, 2002)

Net meat exports as % of production (2002)

Net meat imports as % of consumption (2002)

1.3 cattle

0.5 shoats

2

0.0

9.2

5.7 cattle

3.6 shoats

17

10.8

0.0

0.8 cattle

1.8 shoats

18

0.0

2.2

Site characteristics and crop residue managementDistrict

Area size (km-2)

Human population (n)

Average annual rain (mm)

8,660

159,000

644

Socio-economic

HH headship (% female)

Literacy of hhh (%)

Remittances

Distance to cities

Main economic activity

<15

>75

Few, cross border trade

96 (Tete), 1300 (Maputo)

Livestock and forestry

Crop production

Cropland (ha hh-1)

Crops

Cropland expansion

Manure management

Use of external inputs

Mechanization

Irrigation

4

Maize, sorghum, millet, groundnuts

Shifting cultivation

Limited

Limited

No

No

Changara inTete, Mozambique

Livestock production

HH with livestock (%)

Mean herd size (n)

1st, 2nd livestock function

Mortality rates (annual,%)

Off-take rates (annual,%)

Cattle

21.5

15

cash, draft

10

5-10

Goats

48

20

cash, meat

10-20

10-20

Challenges in crop and livestock production and marketing

• Poverty •Low production and market orientation•Lack of production inputs and support services •Lack of basic market infrastructure•Farmers have very little incentives to invest in agriculture•Poor implementation of agricultural policies

Nkayi in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe

Forested land Cultivated land Deforested land Water body

1990

2000

2009

District

Area size (km-2)

Human population (n)

Average annual rain (mm)

2,055

111,118

625

Socio-economic

HH headship (% female)

Literacy of hhh (%)

Remittances

Distance to cities (km)

Main economic activity

<40

>85

Labor migration (towns, RSA)

120 (Bulawayo)

Crop and livestock production

Crop production

Cropland (ha hh-1)

Crops

Cropland expansion

Manure management

Use of external inputs

Mechanization

Irrigation

3

Maize, sorghum, millet, groundnuts

13 % total area, 1990-2009

60% hh

40%hh fertilizer,

30%hh improved seeds

0

10% hh

Source: Chirima et al., 2010

Livestock production

HH with livestock (%)

Mean herd size (n)

1st, 2nd livestock function

Mortality rates (annual,%)

Off-take rates (annual,%)

Cattle

70

6

draft, meat

10-20

<5

Goats

50

5

cash, meat

20-30

5-10

Challenges in crop and livestock production and marketing

•Poverty• Low production and little market orientation•Poor access to production inputs and support services •Livestock diseases and insufficient dry season feed•Soil and rangeland degradation•Non-functional markets•Incomplete agricultural policies

Mzimba Northern province, Malawi District

Area size (km-2)

Human population (n)

Average annual rain (mm)

10,382

724,873

800

Socio-economic

HH headship (% female)

Literacy of hhh (%)

Remittances

Distance to cities (km)

Main economic activity

<20

>85

Labor migration (RSA)

250 (Lilongwe)

Crop production

Crop production

Cropland (ha hh-1)

Crops for subsistence

Cropland expansion

Manure management

Use of external inputs

Mechanization

Irrigation

0.5-1

Maize, sorghum, groundnuts, pigeon peas, soybeans

No

Few

Majority (fertilizer, seeds)

No

Few; recently enhanced (maize)

Livestock production

HH with livestock (%)

Mean herd size (n)

1st, 2nd livestock function

Mortality rates (annual,%)

Off-take rates (annual,%)

Cattle

20

7

Culture, draft

High

Low

Goats

20-40

5

Cash, meat

High

Limited

Challenges in crop and livestock production and marketing

•Poverty•Limited availability of land, livestock and livestock inputs•Limited formal market systems•Soil and rangeland degradation•Lack of agricultural policies for capacity strengthening, infrastructure development, private sector investments

Crop residue utilization

Mozambique•Extensive grazing by cattle and goats after harvest

Zimbabwe •Emerging intensification: Grazing with other farmers’ livestock (75%), stall feeding (15%), left as mulch (6%), and also used with manure•New institutions to govern livestock access to residues

Malawi•Intensified crop residue utilization: Grazing, mulching ground nuts•Stall feeding residues is encouraged•Potential to use more residues from irrigation plots•Emerging feed markets, e.g. for groundnut stover

Cattle feeding calendar

0200400600800

1000120014001600

May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr

Nu

mb

er

of

res

po

ns

es

(2

00

6/0

7)

Rangeland Crop residues f ield Key resources

Crop residues home Home mix Commercial stock feeds

Planted forage/dpc Relief grazing Cut & carry tree legumes and grass

Source: Homann et al., 2006

Avenues for improved CR use?• Mozambique

– Huge potential for expanding crop and livestock production– CR less important, since large rangelands available (stover index 11.1)– Massive investments in infrastructure and services required

• Zimbabwe– First steps of intensification - growing interest in drought tolerant crops

(sorghum, long duration varieties) and animals (indigenous breeds), intercropping

– Increasing importance of CR regulation, storage and processing while rangelands are still available but poorly managed (stover index 0.5)

– Adjustment of support strategies towards crop livestock intensification (soil fertility management, dual purpose varieties, CR processing)

• Malawi– Opportunities for crop livestock intensification and specialization towards high

value products such as dairy– Role of CR to feed livestock utmost important, due to lack of alternative feed:

CR processing and marketing (stover index 24.0): – Revitalizing support strategies that could encourage investments in small

scale agriculture

Thank you!

Acknowledgements

Felisberto Maute, IIAM Mozambique

Shadreck Ncube, Matopos Research Zimbabwe

Daniel Nkombini, Matopos Research Zimbabwe

Andre van Rooyen, ICRISAT Zimbabwe

Bright Mc Donald, ICRISAT Zimbabwe

Isaac Minde, ICRISAT Zimbabwe

Timothy Gondwe, Bunda College Malawi