Orizon Agriculture reposted this
Irrigated winter cover crops: a winning strategy for fodder management and cash flow. On a recent trip to North West, I was again amazed by the value winter cover crops can add to mixed farming operations in South Africa. If farmers have the water (especially irrigation), the time (no winter crops), and the animals 🐮, then winter cover crops might be the logical next step in their farming journey. The immediate benefits of winter cover crops are: 🟢 Increased fodder availability - by choosing the correct species, cover crops can produce large amounts (up to 10t/ha of dry matter) of quality fodder. 🟢 Better cash flow - the availability of good winter feed can allow farmers to structure their breeding seasons for better cash flow management and it can also allow farmers to background weaners for feedlots. 🟢 Carbon credits - as things stand now, SA farmers will be able to earn substantial amounts of money for implementing regenerative practices like winter cover cropping in the near future. As with many other regenerative practices, the majority of farmers you talk to who employ these practices have been led to them by on-farm experimentation and focusing on what works for them from a profitability perspective. Over and over, I encounter farmers who have all independently started doing regenerative practices such as winter cover cropping. This is a testimony to the value these practices bring to farms and how farming with natural processes is the future. If you have any questions or want to discuss regenerative farming and carbon credits in South Africa, reach out to me or any of my colleagues at Orizon Agriculture . #southafrica #farming #profitability #cashflow #agriculture #cattlefarming #carboncredits