Land use patterns
23. The two regions manifest different land use patterns. In Kgatleng, people and crop production are concentrated in the south. Around 25% of the district's land area is under mixed farming where also 90% of the people and arable land (annual cultivation between 15,000 and 20,000 ha.), and some 30% of the livestock are found (Opschoor, 1981). In contrast, Palapye region is a "cattlepost area"; mixed-farming areas constitute approximately 7.5% of the surface, mainly around the villages; some 10,000 ha. of land is annually cultivated. There are few villages and the percentage of residential land is lower than in Kgatleng. Below, we discuss in more detail some frequently applied adjustments to increasing land pressure.
Adaptation to land pressure
24. As a first response, agriculture usually encroaches into land previously left to hunter-gatherers and/or wildlife. Since both regions are presently almost fully occupied by either livestock or crops, adjustment through such an encroachment process has virtually stopped. This is reflected in the current inability of the Land Boards in both regions to allocate new boreholes.
25. Expansion of rangelands for livestock in the past has generally been most beneficial to the upper stratum because of the relatively high investments and operational costs associated with expansion. Despite this, we found a significant regional difference in the overall access to rangelands. In Kgatleng, the borehole technology has been a socio-economically discriminating requirement for expansion of grazing areas; the average herd size of members of borehole groups is three times the district's average 88 and 27.5 respectively (Peters, 1983). In Palapye region, rangelands are more easily accessible mainly because of the cheaper and the more equitable ownership of wells. As a result, the average herd size of well owners is 28.5 which is the same as the district average (see Table 4).
26. A second type of adjustment has been the conversion of rangelands into arable land. This process usually starts around the village, and gradually spreads further away; population density influences the distance of arable fields from villages. Given the higher population density of Kgatleng, it is not surprising to find that the average distance to arable fields in Kgatleng is twice that in the Palapye region (12.2 km and 6.4 km respectively). The upper stratum can afford to cultivate distant fields whilst the lower stratum often retain old fields near the villages (as we found around Kgatleng's capital Mochudi).
27. Cattle owners frequently put the blame for overstocking on arable encroachment. The aerial-photo analysis over the period 1950-1982 showed that arable encroachment does occur, but it is at most a secondary cause for overstocking. In Kgatleng rangeland losses due to arable encroachment between 1963 and 1982, were estimated at about 2.5% of the total rangeland area. Continuation of this trend would mean that all rangelands would be converted into mixed farming areas in 35 to 45 years. However, the vested interests of borehole owners and the strengthened implementation of land-use planning are likely to prevent this from happening.
28. The third response to land pressure has been to engage in mixed farming, especially among small-herd owners, where crop and livestock production are spatially combined throughout the year. These areas are usually located between settlements and the more remote rangelands. Mixed farming has resulted from two (push and pull) factors which are closely related to land pressure. The major push factor has been the loss of access to both groundwater and surrounding rangeland grazing. With increased pressure on the rangelands, purchasing of water became more difficult, and membership rates of syndicates have become prohibitive for small-herd owners. 5 A major pull factor has been the need to economise on labour. Other benefits include the proximity of draught power and milk.
29. Farmers consider mixed farming a necessity, but are fully aware of serious disadvantages. First, mixed farming exposes farmers to frequent crop damage by cattle. Approximately two-thirds of the farmers experienced such damage in Palapye. 6 Fencing significantly reduces the frequency of crop damage. As shown in Table 1, the higher the frequency of crop field fencing the lower the frequency of crop damage. Further, since stratification and fencing are positively correlated, there is an inverse relationship between strata and crop damage: crop damage affects the lower and middle strata most seriously.
Table 1. Fencing and crop damage by socio-economic stratum in Palapye Region, 1987 (% of crop producers).
|
Stratum |
Frequency of Crop Damage |
Frequency of Fencing of Fields |
|
Upper stratum |
30.4 |
84.0 |
|
Middle stratum |
49.1 |
56.7 |
|
Lower stratum |
85.5 |
20.8 |
|
Average |
64.4 |
42.1 |
Source: Arntzen (1989).
30. Poorer grazing conditions in mixed-farming areas are a second major disadvantage. In Botswana as a whole, stocking rates in mixed-farming areas are double those in pure rangelands. In Kgatleng district, a similar pattern was found, but the difference between mixed farming areas and pure rangelands was smaller. Important potential benefits of mixed farming such as more frequent use of manure and fodder appear presently not feasible to most farmers because of labour constraints.
Land pressure and farmers' perception
31. It appears a reasonable proposition that farmers' views on future land availability are a function of perceived land pressure; these views are likely to be part of the present household strategies. For example, we found in Kgatleng that at present farmers acquire more land mostly to safeguard their children's interests. In Palapye region we examined farmers' views on the future availability of land in more detail (Table 2). A great deal of uncertainty exists around the future of rangelands: 40% of the farmers have no opinion on the future availability of rangeland for livestock compared with only 3% in the case of arable land. Future land shortage for both arable and livestock production is a widespread concern, but farmers appear most pessimistic about rangelands. Sixty percent of the farmers with an opinion predicted a shortage of rangelands. This permission may diminish when arable encroachment will be restricted through better (enforced) land-use planning.
Table 2. Perceived availability of land for livestock and crop production in Palapye Region, 1987 (% of households).
|
Palapye Region |
Yes |
No |
Do not Know |
|
Sufficient land for livestock available in future? |
23.6 |
36.4 |
40.1 |
|
Sufficient arable land available in future? |
51.9 |
44.8 |
3.3 |
Source: Arntzen (1989).
