Following strained rains as the Meteorological Department had predicted in some parts of the country this year, livestock farmers have been advised to venture into fast-maturing fodder farming to cushion them during dry spells.
Consequently, the farmers have been advised to choose fodder that also requires less water to grow.
A training facilitator and head lecturer in the Agriculture and Livestock department at the Meru National Polytechnic, Mr. Gatobu Rarama, has said that the worst situation that livestock farmers can ever find themselves in could be when the drought sets in and they have insufficient stored fodder.
“The farmers are frustrated by the lack of fodder for the animals, which could lead to less production in dairy farming, emaciated animals, and sometimes death due to hunger,” Mr. Rarama pointed out, adding there was a need to change the way of preserving cattle feeds for unforeseen eventualities like drought or harsh weather conditions.
He advises farmers to invest in growing drought-resistant fodder like Rhodes grass, super napier, and Juncao grass, sorghum, disodium, and maize, and above all, consider preparing silage storage for future use.
“Farmers should adopt fodder that offers good and balanced diet rations which would not affect productivity, fast growth, and maintain good body conditions throughout the year,” he added.
A senior livestock production officer at the Isiolo County government, Mr. Stanley Kirimi, revealed that a good number of private and community groups in the county have already ventured into sustainable fodder growing that is easier to grow and preserve for a rainy day.
He said a few women and youth groups are engaged in the Rhodes grass business, where they harvest, store, and later sell to other farmers who had not ventured into the fodder business or for their own use.
On Napier grass, Mr. Kirimi advocates for a shift from the traditional Napier to more improved Super Napier and Juncao that can offer all nutrients the animals may need for maximum yields without sourcing for more processed food supplements.
“Some of the feeds can offer up to 18 per cent of the protein requirement for a high-yielding dairy cow,” he said.
He said the superior napier grass can do well with more water only required during the planting time, adding it was appropriate to plant during the wet periods so as to be successful, as the rest of the growth period needs less water.
He also admitted that a hybrid napier grass like Juncao that has high crude protein content is gaining popularity among dairy farmers in Meru and the neighbouring counties of Isiolo and Embu since their stem cuttings are easily propagated and is also a drought-resistant plant.
An agronomist and promoter of the propagation of the Juncao napier grass in many growing areas Ms. Peninah Karimi said Juncao technology was started in China to combat drought and poverty since the plant can thrive well in dry areas.
She said Juncao grass looks like the local napier, with only the distinct features being soft leaves, and it takes only three months to grow to maturity.
Ms. Karimi says the plant has the potential of producing up to 180 tonnes of fodder per acre, and farmers from even arid and semi-arid areas have started shifting to planting the crop that has proved to increase milk yield in the dairy sector.
“This napier is highly vegetative with a protein content of 18 per cent, which is double the amount of protein in ordinary napier,” she added.
A farmer near Isiolo town, Mr. Royford Kimathi, said he is replacing the traditional napier grass with the new and superior variety in his farm, revealing he plans to put over 10 acres of his land on Juncao grass.
He has already planted four acres of the new variety and continues to propagate more stem-cutting-splits for transplanting to the remaining six acres.
Mr. Kimathi says the journey to taking up the superior grass varieties will open a transformative pathway for both the dairy and beef sectors, considering most areas have unreliable rainfall with about seven months of dry season.
He added that with small pieces of land, farmers will opt to cultivate hybrid livestock fodder varieties with highly desirable output for the sector’s sustainability.
By David Nduro