As the impacts of El Niño continue to affect communities, rural farmers have turned to traditional livestock feed such as thorn acacia to save their livestock.
El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon in which surface waters in the central and eastern Pacific become exceptionally warm, causing changes in global weather patterns. It is projected to affect agricultural yields and production in Zimbabwe during the 2023/24 farming season.
Thorn acacia, also known as Acacia erioloba, offers several advantages during drought conditions.
In livestock management, thorn acacia provides valuable browse for livestock when other forage options are scarce.
Its leaves, pods, and twigs are nutritious and can supplement feed during dry periods.
During droughts, some livestock, especially in arid regions, may use thorn acacia as a source of moisture by consuming its succulent parts such as young shoots or pods, helping them stay hydrated when water sources are limited.
Known for its high nutritional content, including protein and minerals, thorn acacia can help maintain livestock health and productivity even when pasture quality declines due to drought.
By integrating thorn acacia into livestock management practices, farmers can mitigate the impacts of drought and improve resilience in the face of changing climate conditions.
Nomazwe Dumane, a villager from ward 10 in Bhango, Plumtree, gathers thorn acacia because she cannot afford stock feed. “I collect thorn acacia because of the drought; I cannot afford to buy feed, so I gather it for my livestock. Donkeys, goats, and cows all eat this tree. We are facing a serious drought here; we did not even harvest anything; there is no grass,” she said.
Dumane plans to preserve the thorn acacia and start giving it to her goats after they give birth. “For now, I will dry it; it does not matter whether it’s dry or not; livestock consume it,” she said.
While there are other trees such as sickle bush ‘ugagu,’ there is now a rush to pick thorn acacia. Other farmers from Insiza lamented the shortage of thorn acacia in their area due to poor rains.
“After picking it, we mix it with grass or stock feed, and it’s a good supplement for livestock. The challenge is that this season we don’t have it because of poor rains,” said one farmer.
Livestock specialist and columnist Mhlupheki Dube recently urged farmers to safeguard traditional feed sources such as cactus, thorn bushes, among others, as livestock will resort to these during serious dry months.
