Gaborone — Farmers have been advised to prepare for the impending El Nino phenomenon and to adopt new farming methods.
The advice was given by experts in various farming fields during a panel discussion at the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) recently. Dr James Machete, an animal scientist, said the phenomenon would lead to low forage and water for animals.
He advised farmers to reduce their herd and to provide supplementary feeding.
Dr Machete, who specialises in animal husbandry, noted that most local farmers still relied on free-range foraging for their animals, and that they were likely to lose some of their livestock during droughts emanation from the El Nino phenomenon.
"This will affect the already dwindling livestock sector," he said.
He said apart from mortality, there would also be stunted growth of young animals which would affect the future stock.
Dr Machete also said giving supplementary feeding does not mean buying expensive feeds, and that farmers could make their own fodder to cut costs.
He noted that parasites also thrived in hot conditions associated with El Nino.
Dr Moagi Letso, an animal nutrition specialist, urged farmers to keep livestock that they could manage in order to reduce feeding costs.
He commended the Department of Meteorological Services for working closely with farmers and giving them seasonal forecasts, saying it would be handy in preparing for the future.
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Another panelist, Dr Scott Moroke, a soil scientist, said the El Nino condition could lead to erratic rains and advised farmers to change their farming activities.
"Farmers should plant early maturing and high yielding crops," he said, adding that farmers should also plant legumes to improve their soil fertility.
He also urged farmers to resort to minimum tillage in order to ensure that their fields retained their nutrients and water.
Explaining the El Nino phenomenon, principal meteorologist, Mr John Stegling said it was characterised by the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern equatorial pacific ocean, and that it led to dry conditions in southern Africa and more rains in East Africa.
He said they had good forecasting systems in place to monitor the weather and share advance information with farmers.
He also said they shared information with their global counterparts which enabled verification and mitigation plans.
The objective of the workshop, was to sensitise them on what to expect as well as how to prepare and act during the phenomenon.
BOPA
