Abstract
Reproduction performance of beef cattle before and after implementing a sustainable grazing system in a semi-arid grassland of southern africa
Highlights
South African beef producers are confronted by many socio-economic and management challenges that have a negative effect on beef production and profitability
Findings of this study prove that with scientific based rangeland management practices, drastic improvement of beef production could be achieved
Since data were collected over a five year period with the same group of animals with the same genetic potential, it was clear that management did play a dominant role in the results. These findings highlight the essential role of sustainable rangeland management for mitigating droughts
Summary
South African beef producers are confronted by many socio-economic and management challenges that have a negative effect on beef production and profitability. Production information from the different agricultural sectors in South Africa has been well documented by Scholtz and Bester (2010) Efficient rangeland management should ensure that the quantity of forage during these times is sufficient for sustainable livestock production. As these mid-summer droughts coincide with the mating season, it can contribute to the low reproduction rate in beef herds. South Africa will be able to move to self-sufficiency if the average calving rate and the off-take are increased, especially in the communal and emerging sectors (Grobler et al, 2014)
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