Smart farms

: 11 April 2022; Hits: 8471

Farmer groups help dairy goat farmers realise fortunes

Lucy Wairimu a once jobless middle aged woman who lived on handouts is now a proud owner of over ten goats that supply her with over 30 litres of milk daily fetching her some Sh2,000.

Lucy is among thousands of farmers who have benefitted from The National Agriculture and Livestock Extension Programme.
The idea is that farmers with mutual interests form groups and then ask for support and aid themselves, for example, regarding the best methods for different forms of agriculture and livestock rearing. Small-scale farmers are thereby enabled to become more efficient and get better returns on their products.

"We had to collect water from far away. The first thing I did with the money from the sales was to install running water. I carried on. Then I sold another goat and arranged so that we could build a latrine," Lucy said with pride.

High walls surround the little plot where maize and banana plants sway high between the pumpkin and bean crops. There, three cows and many chickens share their space with goats and a house of corrugated metal, wooden planks and earthen floors. Then the crowning glories of the house: the tap with running water, the composting toilet in its own structure right by the entrance, and nearby is the construction site of the family's new house.

From having spent two to three hours daily fetching water, Lucy and her family have time to spend on things that can provide income. Instead of using a hole in the ground lined with plastic as a toilet, they can now close the door behind them, while reducing pollution in the ground and the spread of diseases.

Lucy leans her head against the goat's stomach and holds a jar underneath the teats while she milks. She gets approximately three to four litres a day. She keeps a litre for the family and sells several litres every day. The daughter Milka takes the milk from her mother to warm it on the stove for the grandchildren. Because even though all of Lucy's children are grown up now there are, except Milka and her daughter, another five grandchildren living at the farm since their parents died.

Three years ago Lucy received information about meetings for all those interested in becoming goat farmers. Lucy, who did not have a job, thought it sounded interesting and went to a meeting the following Monday. An agricultural expert told them about all the advantages of goat rearing.

"At the next meeting, Martin came again and told us how we should feed the goats. A cow eats 75 kilos, which feeds six goats. He also told us that a litre of goat's milk sells for Sh100 while cow's milk only fetches Sh30. "We decided to start a group and together save money to buy goats," Lucy remembered.

Now Lucy is considering giving up the three cows and instead expanding the goat rearing since this gives greater returns in terms of income and improved health. "When I started rearing goats I had high blood pressure. When I slowly started drinking goat's milk I became a lot better. My children are really healthy. They do not get any diseases, neither malaria nor anything else. Goat's milk has been good for our health."

The time is just past eight in the morning and a small group of men and women are starting to gather in a circle in the shade at Lucy's. They sit down on the light blue plastic chairs and, when they run out, people sit down on hay bales and wood pallets. The milk goat farmers meet once a month and discuss everything related to goat farming. They save money together in order to buy goats, borrow male goats for breeding and negotiate prices for goats and goat's milk.

Martin Ng´ang´a is responsible for this area within the National Agriculture and Livestock Extension Programme, NALEP, as one of their 7, 000 agricultural experts around the country. The idea is that farmers with mutual interests form groups and then ask for support and aid themselves, for example, regarding the best methods for different forms of agriculture and livestock rearing. Small-scale farmers are thereby enabled to become more efficient and get better returns on their products.

Martin Ng´ang´a says that this group requests what they want to learn and are managing the work themselves. He is at the meeting at Lucy's and Moses', one of the country's 20, 000 farmer groups within NALEP. This commitment and the strength in being able to bring change is the backbone of the goat farmers' success. Together they have managed to make poverty more bearable for millions of families.

"I am really glad for this group. It has given me strength. Without the group we would not have been as healthy as we are today."

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: 11 April 2022; Hits: 4880

Molasses and maize bran milk booster doubles milk yield

Dairy farmers in Uganda are set to benefit from an improved milk booster feed that doubles milk production and is pocket friendly largely due to the use of locally available materials like molasses and maize bran.

The new milk booster is an end product of combined efforts by a team of researchers from Makerere University led by Dr. Fred Kabi department of Agricultural production. According to Dr. Kabi, the product is expected to bolster the rapidly growing dairy industry as well as mitigate malnutrition, extreme hunger and poverty through improved milk production, nutrition and improved daily cash flow among farmers. The milk booster is a new innovation involving the use of sugar cane industrial waste of molasses mixed with other ingredients like maize bran, cotton seed cake, urea, mineral salts and lime. The project was born three years ago under a research titled ‘Participatory research for technology development on use of Molasses Urea Blocks (MUB) and local feedstuff for improved dairy cattle production in Uganda.’

In order to successfully carry out the project, the researchers partnered with Kakira Sugar Works Ltd, Kakira Outgrowers Rural Development Fund (KORD) and Dairy Development Authority (DDA), to conduct a participatory research for technology development aimed at utilizing sugarcane industrial waste like molasses for improved dairy cattle productivity in Uganda.

“Our concept was hinged on building on the complementary synergies between the private sector who have the necessary raw materials and the scientists from the public sector who are equipped with knowledge,” explained Kabi. Using this concept the team has developed a molasses urea dairy supplementary feed which increases milk production by over 50percent.

According to Dr. Kabi, the Milk booster has a rear component which is urea that facilitates proper functioning of the microbial population in the rumen. “With the new technology from Novus International, the milk booster has been fortified with micronutrients and aflatoxin binders which will not only improve on productivity of the dairy animals but also step up the keeping ability of the feed for over one year.” Kabi further advised that one needs to accustom the animal to the feed for four days before embarking on full supplementation.

The moment the animal gets used to it, it will improve on its digestibility because it increases the rate of food fibre breakdown by the microbial population in the gastro-intestinal tract. By supplementing 1 kg per animal per day, a farmer increases milk production by over 30 percent .For instance a cow producing 10 litres will increase milk production to about 15 litres while the one producing 20 litres increases to about 30 litres per animal per day hence improved daily cash flow, better household nutrition, better health of the calves that will constitute tomorrows herd for the farmer.

Farmers having evaluated the product in a stakeholders meeting that involved scientists, the private sector, local government in the early stages of research they agreed to set its’ retail price at UGX1000.However the pricing may fluctuate mainly due to the changes in the prices of molasses which is one of the major component for manufacturing the milk booster. The milk booster has already been tested on 100 dairy farms in the districts of Jinja, Iganga, Kamuli, Mayuge and Mukono with impressive results.

According to Dr.Kabi, driven largely by dairy, the livestock sector has maintained positive growth rates averaging 3percent per annum compared to the declining growth rates registered in the food and cash crop sub-sectors. “Innovative affordable discoveries like our new found research on milk booster will help shape the livestock and dairy industry to competitive edge like other neighbouring countries especially Kenya.

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: 09 April 2022; Hits: 3439

Maize shortage & new taxes predicted to drive up feed cost

chep animal feeds

By George Munene

According to animal feed retailers the price of feed is scheduled for a price hike as maize prices -- the main component in most animal feeds -- have increased from Sh 2,800 for a 90kg bag two months ago to Sh 3,300.

This rise has been driven by a shortage of maize in the country and a recently introduced cess on grains delivered to Nairobi, where most millers are headquartered, by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) that took effect on 1st March.

Further, the government has imposed a 15% tax on rice bran; another key component in animal feeds; imported into the country from neighboring Uganda and Tanzania.

Wellington Serem, an animal feed retailer in Eldoret, illuminated that the 17% increase in the price of maize for major millers, from whom they source maize meal (chenga chenga) and maize bran, and a new tax on imported rice bran will in short order be conveyed to the farmers.

“Maize constitutes up to 30 per cent of dairy meal, 70 per cent in poultry ration, and close to 50 per cent of pig feed. This makes it the most important component of any animal feed ration,” he explained.

This will be unwelcome news for smallholder livestock keepers who are already paying exorbitant prices for feeds. A 70-kilogram bag of pig mash now retails for Sh 2,400 compared to last year while a kilogram of chicken feed will set you back Sh 5-15 more from this time last year.

Serem pointed out that this can be attributed to a dramatic rise in the price of key components that make up animal feeds over that time period: Cottonseed cake is up 70 per cent to Sh 60 a kilogram, Soya now sells for Sh 120 compared to Sh 70 in March last year. Sunflower cake has also had a double-digit price hike to Sh 35 compared to Sh 25. A 40-kilogram bag of wheat bran will now set you back Sh 1,000 -- a Sh 200 price rise from last year.

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