Improving pasture land through converting thicket land in Chemba district, Tanzania

Nonexistence of improved pasture in Chemba district compels livestock to graze on natural pasture and crop residues as the only source of stock feed. The pasture has insufficient nutritive contents and short in supply that contributes to low quality and low productivity of the livestock. This study explored the potential of converting thicket land into improved pasture as an alternative way to improve livestock productivity in the district. The focus was to identify methods and limitation of livestock keeping, establish the status of natural pasture, and to assess the potential of converting thickets land into improved pasture land in the district. The study was conducted in Msera, Ndoroboni, and Gumbu villages using a mixed methods approach. Interviews were administered to 103 heads of households keeping livestock and ten key informants using questionnaires. Information on livestock keeping practices and livestock keepers’ perception on improved pasture was sought. IBM SPSS version 20 and Microsoft Excel software were used for analysis and descriptive statistics were developed. A field survey was used to collect soil and pasture species samples to established soil and pasture properties. Physical and chemical properties of soil were analysed by standard procedures developed by Moberg, 2001. Chemical composition of pasture species was analysed using AOAC (1990) standard techniques and Van Soest et al., (1991) procedures. It was revealed that indigenous breed TSZ cattle are preferred and kept traditionally by agro-pastoralist. Natural pasture is the only main source of animal feed. Also, the findings show that sand soil dominates the area (46–82). The soils have Total Nitrogen 0.04–0.09%, low soil organic carbon, organic matter and available phosphorus. The soil’s concentrations of Iron range from 17.02 – 47.79 ppm. The soil is capable of supporting improved pasture species such as Cennchrus ciliaris, Clitoria ternatea and Cajanus cajan. The studied grass feed contain CP levels 8.7% to 13.8% DM and browse tree forage species feed contain 11.1% to 21.7% DM. The shown high CP level of the studied pasture species is attained and obtained only in wet season. In addition, LULC analysis using Landsat TM scenes of 1986/87, 2000/01 and 2011 indicate that thicket cover has declined from 26.3% between 1986-2001 and 22.1% during 2001-2011 period. The declining trend of thicket threatens the future of livestock keeping in Chemba. The findings show that there is a potential of converting thicket land into improved pasture as an option to increase livestock productivity in the Chemba district. However, the declining trend of grazing land (thicket land) need to be addressed through establishing efficient land tenure system and a land use plan that will facilitate the establishment of improved pasture.