Farmers in Insiza District are reporting healthier grazing lands and improved livestock management after adopting a paddocking system under the Holistic Land and Livestock Management (HLLM) programme.
The approach which involves dividing grazing areas into separate paddocks and rotating cattle according to a planned schedule was showcased during a herding and livestock value chains learning visit organised by the Zimbabwe chapter of the Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) network.
Supporters of the system say it is helping communities tackle overgrazing, restore degraded rangelands and strengthen livestock productivity in the face of climate change.
"The paddocking system allows communities to design grazing plans according to the quality of available grass, the number of livestock they own and the needs of the animals," said PELUM Zimbabwe Country Coordinator Theophilus Mudzindiko.
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He said rotational grazing gives grassland time to recover reducing pressure on pastures that would otherwise be continuously grazed.
"If livestock are grazing in one paddock today, the other paddocks are resting. That allows the grass to recuperate and regenerate," he said.
According to Mudzindiko, concentrating cattle in specific grazing areas also brings environmental benefits.
Larger deposits of dung and urine enrich the soil while the movement of livestock helps break up compacted ground allowing rainwater to penetrate more effectively.
"When livestock are concentrated in a particular paddock, dung and urine are deposited in larger quantities, helping to improve soil fertility. The action of hoofs also loosens compacted soils, allowing rainwater to infiltrate deeper into the soil," he said.
He added that the grazing system can help reduce the prevalence of tick-borne diseases by interrupting the pests' life cycle through controlled livestock movement.
In Inyozani, Ward 18, farmers say the programme has transformed how they manage communal grazing land.
Farmer Field School representative Mthulisi Ndlovu said villagers now follow a jointly agreed grazing plan that determines how many cattle can graze in each paddock and for how long.
"We have a grazing plan that we agreed on as a village which determines the number of cattle that graze in a certain paddock and the number of days they stay there," he said.
The community has also embraced mobile kraaling, a practice in which cattle are temporarily confined in targeted areas to improve soil fertility and rehabilitate degraded land.
Ndlovu said the changes were already producing visible results.
"Before this programme, cattle grazed haphazardly. Through the knowledge we received, we are now managing our paddocks better and we have seen positive results. Wetlands are being restored and areas that previously had poor grass cover are now recovering," he said.
Decisions on grazing rotations are based on factors such as water availability, grass recovery rates and the condition of the land.
While paddocks existed in the area before the programme, Ndlovu said many communities lacked the knowledge needed to use them effectively.
"Before cattle would graze haphazardly but now, because of the knowledge that has accrued to us, we are now advancing," he said.
Agricultural Business Advisory Officer Skangele Chuma, from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development said paddocking was proving to be an important tool for improving livestock production.
"It helps farmers improve livestock production because they are able to monitor their cattle more closely and take control measures quickly when health challenges arise," she said.
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Chuma said the system also contributes to tick control and helps prevent overgrazing.
She believes the practice could play a critical role in helping rural communities adapt to increasingly frequent droughts.
"Some paddocks are rested and preserved for use during difficult periods. Even when rainfall is low, farmers can rely on grass that has been protected and allowed to recover," she said.
"As a result, paddocking helps farmers maintain productivity even during challenging seasons."
With signs of recovering grasslands and growing confidence among livestock owners, communities in Inyozani are now encouraging wider adoption of the system as part of broader efforts to restore degraded land and build resilience against climate shocks.
