Craft Agricultural Solutions

Too much hyping of new fodder varieties will ultimately collapse our (nearly dead) dairy sector in Taita Taveta County.

Farmers are constantly served with fictitious and misleading information on the potential yield, nutritional information and establishing costs.

Factually, farmers should consider:

- Attainable yield per season and the dry matter quantity needed by the heard for the same season.

- Availability and affordability of cereal by-products with minimal antinutritional factors to cover for protein and energy deficiencies in the fodder.

- Quantity of fibre in the fodder variety to maintain good rumen health.

- Whether the yield increases or drops for the second and subsequent ratoon harvests.

- The cost of conserving fodder after harvesting.

A vibrant and progressive dairy sector will only be attained when rural and smallholder dairy farmers in Taita Taveta County are able to produce optimally as a result of proper and more affordable feed regimens suitably designed to meet their production environments.