Livestock feed resources: Current production and management practices in central and northern rift valley provinces of Kenya

摘要

Smallholderdairyfarmersindevelopingcountriesfacemanyfeedconstraintssuchasinadequatefeedqualityandquantity,poorstoragefacilitiesforfeedconservationaswellasinsufficientwater.However,feedingoflivestockcontinuestoposemanyproblemsduetolackofinformationoncompositionandutilizationoflocallyavailablefeedresources.Theseproblemsareaggravatedbylackofaccesstoandhighcostoffeedinputs.Theuseofcheapandreadilyavailablelocalfeedresourceshasgreatpotentialtoincreaselivestockproductivity.TheEastAfricanDairyDevelopmentprojectinKenya,throughuseofvariousparticipatoryrapidappraisaltoolsconductedarapidappraisalstudyofthreeprojectareas.Theobjectivewastoassessfeedsandfeedingpracticesinsmallholderdairysystems,identifyfeedresourcesavailableyearroundandwherethegapsareaswellastodeterminewhatpracticesareavailableforimprovingproductionandutilizationoffeedresourcesinordertoraisesmallholderdairyproduction.nbsp;Establishedopportunitiesforimprovementincludeon-farmproductionandutilizationoffodder,efficientstorage,processingandutilizationofcropresidues,pastureimprovement,appropriatewaterharvestingtechnologies,formulationoffeedrationsamongstsmallscalefarmers,smallscalefeedconservationaswellasdevelopmentoffoddermarkets.Giventhecomplexfarmingsystemwithinwhichsmallholderfarmersoperate,changesareneededinboththetechnologiesusedforimprovingfeedsandfeedingsystemsandintheinstitutionalandpolicyarrangementssurroundingfeedsupply.Inaddition,technicalinterventionsneedtobedevelopedinaparticipatorymanneralongwithfarmersandotherstakeholderswithinthesystemtomakethemrelevantandsustainable.