By Jane Kirimi and Paul Gichungu
Frequent drought in
semi-arid Laikipia County has been contributing to crop failure, inadequate
feeds, decreased production, and food insecurity. Overgrazing has also
increased land degradation.
In a bid to reduce the 46
percent poverty level in the County, the Agricultural Sector Development
Support Program (ASDSP) in partnership with Laikipia County government, CARITAS
Nyeri among others undertook to promote hay commercialisation in the dairy
value chain.
The initiative involved
organizing farmers into 28 groups comprising 1064 farmers, 632 male and 432
females, training them on grass management practices, seed harvesting, storage,
marketing and providing them with hay grass seed. ASDSP has also issued the
groups with a hay-training manual.
Eighteen (18) farmer
groups received 7300 kgs of Rhodes grass seeds. This resulted in establishment
of 1800 acres of grass across the county. The farmers have also formed Laikipia
Hay Company Ltd to champion Laikipia as a hay county.
To support the demand for
expansion of acreage under Rhodes grass, farmers are harvesting and selling
seeds to improve their income. The number of hay producers has also increased
from 1,500 to over 5,000 farmers.
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| Mrs. Ann Mwangi in her hay store |
Among the group that
benefited included the 70 member Tigithi Umoja Hay group.
Mrs. Ann Mwangi, a member
of the group planted her Boma Rhodes seeds in April 2015. Last season, her
3-acre land produced 500 bales of hay of which she sold 400 bales valued at Ksh
120,000. She harvested 100 Kg of seeds valued at Ksh 50,000.
“I used to experience
frequent crop failure before ASDSP started working with us. The various
trainings that they gave us have empowered our group members. We have increased
our production and income through the ASDSP program,” said Mrs. Mwangi.
Currently she has 5 acres
of land under grass production with an expected yield of 1,000 bales worth Ksh
300,000. She has migrated from nomadic lifestyle to zero grazing method of
dairy farming.
She is now planning to
increase hey hay acreage in order to feed her five dairy cows and sell the
surplus to increase her income.
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