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.
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.