It's in the grass

Agra ProVision kick-started the year hosting training courses to empower farmers. From 24 to 27 January Agra ProVision trained ten farmers through the Rangeland Management training course. The training was well attended by both upcoming and established farmers.The four-day programme comprised topics that included understanding grass, how it grows and how it responds to drought and utilisation impacts; understanding rangeland conditions and how to monitor changes over time; determining fodder availability and adjusting livestock numbers to available fodder resources. At the end of the course, participants were empowered to develop their own rangeland management plan, making provision for adequate utilisation and recovery periods.Agra ProVision's technical advisor for rangeland management Bertus Kruger said the training was offered at the right time, as rangeland is the first step to livestock production. “Livestock farming can only be sustainable if there is sufficient grass. The training course therefore comes at the right time to prepare and educate farmers on the fundamentals of rangeland management.” The training was concluded with a practical session facilitated by Agra ProVision's technical advisor for livestock production Frank Wittneben, and Agra ProVision's researcher Angelina Kanduvarisa. During this session, participants employed a scientific approach based on collecting samples and using this data to calculate forage availability. Samples account for the composition of the grass sward, which is subdivided into perennial grasses, annual grasses and Aristida type of grasses. Furthermore, the process is instrumental to monitoring veld condition. “Aristida grasses are usually not quantified, as these are hardly utilised by livestock. Annual grasses are nutritious and palatable, but they only last for a few months before they disintegrate if not grazed by the middle of the dry season. Perennial grasses on the other hand constitute the main fodder reserve with the potential to last throughout the dry season,” said Wittneben. At the end of the training course, participants were able to develop rangeland management plans that will guide them to implement planned grazing management on their farms.The next course will be held from 28 to 31 March in Windhoek. STAFF REPORTER

It's in the grass

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-18

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It's in the grass

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-18

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