Drought resilience: Bush-to-Feed project shows remarkable results
By Deon Schlechter
The results of pioneer activities to prove that bush-based feed works especially during droughts as emergency feed and also as supplement feed have been remarkable and in many cases bush based animal fodder has proven to be the only viable option for farmers during drought periods.
Two pilot projects are currently being carried out under the Support to Debushing Project, a bilateral cooperation between the governments of Germany and Namibia, implemented by GIZ and Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF). The pilot projects aim at testing Bush-to-Feed through dedicated scientific research and feeding trials, both in commercial and communal areas. At the communal pilot site, the project has partnered up with the UNDP financed NAFOLA project. Bush-to-Feed refers to the production of animal fodder, using encroacher bush as main ingredient. A number of Namibian farmers are already producing bush-feed today and a promising value chain based on Namibian encroacher bush is Bush-to Feed.