The Time2Graze project through the Global Methane Hub is assembling 35 partner organizations in Latin America and Africa to perpetually track optimal pasture levels. Among these countries is Uganda, a cattle-dense nation. While leveraging farmers’ optimal feed management practices, the project will also boost feed digestibility by tracking pasture suitability rates. Studies show that only a 10% digestibility improvement is sufficient to cut livestock methane emissions by 20%.
Selina Wamucii sought comments from a communication representative at the Time2Graze project on the impact in, especially, Uganda.
At the outset, the Time2Graze’s roll-out will be in Latin America, alongside West, East and southeastern Africa.
“Initially, the project will focus on Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe in Africa, and Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay in Latin America.”
Regarding the scope of coverage, the initiative will track by satellite “mainly natural grasslands and sown pastures.”
The use of real-time satellite data in these pockets of land will optimize feed access management for longer sustainability.
“Satellite-based systems can provide biomass data across areas of 10mx10m every five days.” Notes the Time2Graze communique.
The Uganda Reach
One of the first access nations is Uganda, whose famous longhorn Ankole cattle already enjoy pasture protectorates in the western region.
According to Paul Mulondo, Coordinator Forests and Biodiversity Programme, WWF-Uganda: “grazing livestock systems are widespread across Africa, but pastoralists face the persistent challenge of unpredictable levels of pasture for their animals. Feed availability varies according to the season, with climate change and grazing management also impacting pasture levels.
“Unpredictable levels of pasture make livestock-rearing inefficient, undermining animal nutrition, productivity and livelihoods. The availability and digestibility of pasture in turn impacts milk and meat output, as well as methane emissions.
“The Time2Graze project will address these inefficiencies by providing farmers with near-real-time estimates of pasture levels to help optimise grazing, improve animal nutrition and reduce methane emissions. The project will develop new systems using satellite data and digital tools to enable farmers to take informed decisions about when and where to graze their animals.”
Ends the statement on this informative note.
About the Global Methane Hub and the Time2Graze Project
The Global Methane Hub, which funds the Time2Graze project, connects governments, scientists, nonprofits and stakeholders to reduce methane pollution. It uses technology, public policies and similar to mitigate the methane footprint globally. So far, the organization has secured above $500 million form over 20 climate bodies for the pollution mitigation cause.