From grass to cash: Harnessing the power of climate smart forage grasses in Western Kenya

From grass to cash: Harnessing the power of climate smart forage grasses in Western Kenya

Published: 25-02-2021 08:45:00 | By: Bob Koigi | hits: 4962 | Tags:

Kenyan researchers have been working with farmers in Western Kenya to test new varieties of fodder grasses known to have higher protein, low fiber and are fast maturing.

The result has been an increase in the quantity and quality of milk which has fetched higher prices and translated to increased household incomes.

Under the Grass to Cash project that has been chaperoned by the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), more than 1,000 smallholder farmers spread across Kakamega, Siaya, Busia and Bungoma counties are also shielding themselves from the effects of climate change since embracing the wonder grasses more than two years ago.

The project has involved trainings and use of demonstration plots and has partnered with the country’s premier research institution The Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), Advantage Crops Limited and Send a Cow.

Dickson Osogo, a beneficiary of the project for the last two years rears cows in his farm located in Siaya County. He initially had three cows and struggled with high commercial feed prices and poor quality Napier grass. Dickson joined the Grass to Cash project out of curiosity and now, having attended trainings and tried new planting, farm management, harvesting and feeding methods, he has bought two more cows and set aside half an acre on his farm to cultivate the grasses himself, cutting costs.

Dickson Osogo, farmer: “When I first planted the cultivars and fed them to my cows alongside Napier, I noticed the cows preferred the cultivars,” Dickson said. “This motivated me to expand the area under production. Now I have recorded an increase of up to six liters of milk per cow from milking twice per day. I don’t use a lot of grass when feeding them like I used to with Napier. The grasses also mature fast. When I first planted them, they matured within 10 weeks.”

He has now managed to grow his monthly income from selling milk from $100) to $340)since introducing the grasses. “I am now also able to sell milk and still leave some for my family to consume, including my grandchildren,” says the father of nine, who has used the proceeds of the milk sale to educate his children and take care of other family needs.

Dickson is now a peer trainer with Send a Cow, a partner organization of the Alliance, working with 3,000 vulnerable farmers to improve their nutrition, health and income opportunities in the region. He trains 35 farmers in Siaya County, demonstrating benefits of the grasses through sharing his experience. He also gives interested farmers forage seeds, and visits their farms to advise them on good farm management practices for optimum grass yields.

Ruth Odhiambo, a senior research assistant at the Alliance: “We realized that the biggest problem farmers in Western Kenya faced was lack of animal feed. Up to 80% of farmers relied on Napier, which has serious disease problems which hinders grass production. Finding quality grasses and seed with high protein content, which could translate to improved milk yields and incomes, has been a real challenge for farmers.” 

The Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) tested the grasses for suitability in local conditions before they were released to farmers.

David Miano, a forage agronomist at KALRO: “As we think of making agriculture a business, we need to explore how we can convert what we are researching into a money making activity. We have worked with development partners and farmer organizations to disseminate the forages, and each partner has had a crucial role to play in making these new grasses available to as many farmers as possible.”

Advantage Crops, a partnering seed company, has collaborated with the research teams to commercialize some of the new forage seed varieties, making them more easily available to farmers within shorter distances and addressing seed shortages. They have also repackaged the seed into more affordable sizes, from 50 gram packs to one kilogram packs which vary in price from around $33 to $36 depending on the variety.

Charles Wasonga, Company Director at Advantage Crops: “This is a great opportunity for farmers, whether they own cows or land, to step forward and venture into a different direction, in which their farming enterprises can be profitable. There is need to intensify these campaigns so that more of the potential beneficiaries can experience what the alternative fodders can offer.” He added that young people without cattle are also benefitting, growing the fodder and selling it to farmers, encouraging new entrepreneurial, income-generating opportunity.

www.bioversityinternational.org

www.ciat.cgiar.org