Emaciated cattle are fed at a community initiative feeding center in Duduble, Kenya. The devastating Horn of Africa drought is set to get even worse, with Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia already going through their worst drought for 40 years, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned.Credit: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images
Kapiti research station of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), near Nairobi, Kenya, was set up more than 30 years ago for research into the control of East Coast fever and African animal trypanosomiasis. But with the impacts of prolonged droughts in the region, scientists at the station are now working with smallholder farmers in provision of sustainable, resilient pathways for livestock production across the continent.
Many families in rural sub-Saharan Africa’s drylands depend on livestock farming for their income and food. But prolonged droughts threaten their livelihoods, as insufficient pasture and water has led to loss of livestock. In a study, published in Environmental Development, Nugun Jellason, and a team from Teesside University, United Kingdom, found that overreliance on nature increases smallholder farmers vulnerability to climate change. Researchers says adaptation is vital.
A study, led by ILRI’s Esther Njuguna-Mungai and colleagues, showed that livestock production is dwindling in Sub-Saharan Africa, because of feed shortages. According to the scientist there is an urgent need to support smallholder livestock producers, given their critical role in providing solutions to the food, nutrition and economic challenges that are intensifying across the continent. The 13,000-hectare Kapiti station, trains dry land farmers on how to feed their animals and production of climate-smart fodder crops.
“We have to bring down the cost of milk production and increase volume for farmers to benefit,” said Ian Mutua, a technical agronomist, from the Land O Lakes Venture 37, working with smallholder farmers in forage production. “Feeding habits enables dairy cows to give optimum milk production. But we are usually under-feeding our animals,” Mutua told Nature Africa.
The farmers are taken through several courses on production of drought-resistant forage, developed by developed by Forage Genetics International scientists. These include planting of forage, its management and harvesting. “We teach them what shows that the crop is ready for harvesting and what varieties to mix including their ratios so as to give the animal all the nutrients required,” said Mutua. “We show them different types and how they complement each other. The idea is to have a buffet for the animals, so they can get protein and starch”
Hellen Nzioki and Joseph Mbindyo are two smallholder farmers rearing cattle and goats from drylands of eastern Kenya. They say that their area has seen “tremendous reduction” in rainfall in the last seven years hence reducing rain-fed forage production. Nzioki expects that the drought resistant varieties of grass, and the training on how to make silage for her animals, will boost production prospects on her farm. “What I harvest is exhausted before the next rain season and I now must buy fodder. The price keeps rising, forcing me to sell some of the animals at throw away price to buy fodder for the remaining ones,” Nzioki says.
Jellason and colleagues suggest that “previous adaptation may not be sufficient under a fast-changing climate,” creating a need for knowledge integration to strengthen adaptation strategies. Ilona Gluecks, head of clinical research facilities at ILRI, agrees that there’s a need for continuous training and engagements of scientists with smallholder farmers. She says that the facility is also helping build the capacity of researchers from across Africa as it hosts masters and PhD students.
