K24 Journalist Violet Otindo highlights the changing fortunes of dairy farmers using Brachiaria grasses to feed their animals in Kenya.
Preliminary data from dairy farmers participating in on-farm evaluations of Brachiaria grasses in Kenya shows that the nutritious grasses contribute to increased milk production.
The on-going research program on Climate-smart Brachiaria Grasses to Increase Livestock Production in East Africa conducted by the BecA-ILRI Hub in collaboration with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Institute (KALRO); Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) ; International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Colombia; and Grasslanz Technology Limited, New Zealand has engaged smallholder farmers in cultivating the grasses as major livestock feed sources and as a source of household cash income through the seed production.
The Swedish funded program has been successful in, together with farmers, identifying best bet varieties for different agro-ecological regions and creating awareness among the farmers, researchers, extension agents, policy makers and politicians on the significance of Brachiaria grasses to support a growing dairy industry. Through the project, farmers have discovered that the Brachiaria grasses not only preferred by animals but also grow better than most forage in marginal soils of semi-arid and sub-humid environments that are common in most of Sub-Saharan Africa.
In this four minute video, K24 journalist Violet Otindo talks to Albanus Nduva from Kanzalu village of Machakos County in eastern Kenya, one of the 1200 farmers in Kenya who have been involved in participatory on-farm evaluations of Brachiaria grasses as pasture and recording the milk production data Otindo also gets insights from BecA-ILRI Hub scientist Sita Ghimire who leads the program and Donald Njarui from KALRO, Kenya as to why Brachiaria grasses are good for the environment.
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i like the grasses very much
Pls let me know where i can get seedlings for this grass for planting in nyahururu kenya.
Dear farmers in Kenya, call me through 0726345712 – Donald Njarui
I am a farmer in eldy kindly where can get mulato seeds
Dear Felix, the varieties being assessed through this project are Basilisk, MG4, Piata and Xaraes. For information on these varieties, please get in touch with KALRO Katumani research center, Tel: 0722206986
Can it grow in Kirinyaga County…near a place called Thaita…my town is Kerugoya.
Dear Kariuki,
the grass can grow in Kirinyaga. For more information on the grass, please get in touch with the experts from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO formerly known as KARI) in Katumani using this phone number 0716964732.
please can l know the type of brachiaria grasses grown by Albanus Nduva who was interviewed by Violet Otindo of K24.
Is Basilisk grasses toxic to dairy cows?
What types of grasses are grown by Albanus Nduva who was interviewed by Violet Otindo of K24?
where can I get MG4 Brachiaria grasses?
any forthcoming field day concerning brachiria farming kindly let me know I would like to participate.