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Livestock Farmers Embrace Hays Amidst Climate Change Effects

Dr Kidega had been producing maize silage, until two years ago, when he embarked on growing Chloris Gayana (Rhodes grass), a drought resistant perennial grass suitable for hay making on his 20 acres’ farmland in Unyama B village in Pece-Laroo Division, Gulu City.
15 Jan 2025 07:23
A casual worker carries a bale of hay for loading onto a truck at Gulu Uganda Ciuntry Dairy farm in Gulu City on January 14 2024.

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Livestock farmers in the Acholi sub-region are gradually adopting hay production as an alternative feed source for their animals during dry seasons, in response to the challenges posed by climate change. Traditionally, most dairy and beef farmers in the region have relied on native grasses to feed their livestock. However, prolonged dry spells have led to pasture shortages, significantly affecting milk and beef production.

To mitigate these challenges, some farmers are turning to climate-smart agricultural practices, including the production of hay. Hay consists of grasses and other foliage that are cut, dried, and bundled into bales for storage, ensuring a reliable feed source during periods of limited pasture availability.

Dr. Tony Kidega, a dairy farmer and manager of the Gulu Uganda Country Diary in Gulu City is among some of the farmers who have transitioned into the production of hays as a profitable agricultural venture. Dr. Kidega had been producing maize silage, until two years ago, when he embarked on growing Chloris Gayana (Rhodes grass), a drought-resistant perennial grass suitable for haymaking on his 20 acres’ farmland in Unyama B village in Pece-Laroo Division, Gulu City.

Dr Kidega told Uganda Radio Network in an interview that most livestock farmers, especially dairy farmers who rely on natural pastures have for the past years been caught off guard without any animal feed in store due to the extended dry spell.  He says while the dry season is one of the most profitable periods for dairy farmers, milk production in the sub region tends to be very low due to feed challenges as most pastures have dried.

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According to Kidega, hay production has been proven to be an answer to the challenges of feeds during the dry season and encouraged farmers to adopt its production and consumption.

He says most dairy farmers have dropped out of business during dry season simply because of ill preparation and over reliance on natural pastures.

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This season alone, Dr. Kidega’s farm has already produced and bulked 5,000 bales of hays which are being bought by livestock farmers within Acholi and West Nile Sub-regions. To him, hay production is not only beneficial for boosting livestock production but also an income-generating venture that farmers must adapt to.

A bale of hay is currently sold between 15,000 shillings to 20,000 shillings at Dr. Kidega’s farm while a kilogram of Chloris seeds costs between 25,000 to 35,000 shillings. Patrick Okello Mwaka, a livestock farmer dealing in both beef and milk production in Palaro Sub-County, in Gulu District is among farmers in the sub-region who have embraced hays for their cattle owing to the ever-changing climate.

Mwaka told Uganda Radio Network Tuesday that he turned to Hays for his herds of cattle in 2022 after encountering low productivity during the dry season. Palaro Sub-County is among the areas in Gulu District that continue to record worse drought conditions due to years of widespread destruction of trees mainly for charcoal.

“Our area here is very rocky and this means it dries very fast when the dry season sets in which has affected my animals a lot. The animals during this period struggle to find pastures because most grasses would be dry, and some have died” says Mwaka.

Mwaka notes that ever since he adapted to hays to feed the animals during dry spell to supplement the natural pastures, quantity of milk produced by cows and the quality of cattle hasn’t been affected. This season alone, Mwaka has purchased 240 bales of hays for his livestock to last him throughout the dry season.

Low milk production in Dry season Winnie Ajalo, a trainer at Gulu Uganda Country Dairy acknowledges that dry season has had negative impacts on milk production which has ultimately affected the dairy sector in Acholi Sub-region. Ajalo notes that it’s high time farmers in the sub-region embrace the climate smart agricultural practices of growing improved pastures that are resilient to the environment. For instance, Chloris plants take between four to six months to produce valuable forage and can survive drought for up to six months.

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According to Ajalo, dry spell accounts for a drop in milk production in the sub-region by nearly a half citing that a farmer who relies only on natural pastures and has been getting about 10 liters of milk per animal only realizes about 5 liters during dry spell or even less.

Gulu Uganda Country Dairy has so far documented 200 farmers within the Acholi Sub-region and three major cooperatives in Gulu City dealing directly in milk production.

In a bid to promote a sustainable dairy and beef sector in the region amidst the adverse effects of climate change, farmers are now being urged to adapt to growing climate resilient fodder trees such as gliricidia sepium, moringa, mulberry, and calliandra which are rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. Agriculturalists say these fodder trees are also much cheaper than concentrated feeds such as sunflower, cotton and soybean cakes.

According to the Dairy Development Authority (DDA), Acholi Sub region has the potential to produce 150 million liters of milk because of fertile soils, plenty of grass during wet season but currently only produces an estimated 15 million liters per annum.