Livestock farmers in Nyandarua County have been urged to adopt climate smart solutions and technologies in fodder making to avoid incurring losses.
Speaking during the Nyandarua County Farmers field day in Olkalou on Monday, Governor Dr. Moses Kiarie Badilisha noted that inadequate fodder is one of the major challenges facing farmers in the county despite being one of the regions known for high milk production.
Governor Badilisha noted that farmers are making huge losses when their silage and other fodder go bad, alluding that the field day could serve as a learning experience where farmers are introduced to new technologies and innovations that could come in handy in tackling farming-related challenges.
He further noted that the sector faces threat due to issues of climate change, which has affected traditional farming practices and put the livelihoods of many small-scale farmers and pastoralists at risk.
“Innovators have developed a silage bagging solution designed to preserve silage by stopping oxygen transpiration, which in most cases may cause farmers to incur losses. Though through this fied day, farmers will be exposed to varieties of innovative ways of preserving their fodder for later use,” he said
During the field day, it was revealed that traditional methods of fodder storage such as open-air drying or trench and pit silos are often inefficient, leading to significant nutrient loss and wastage.
One of the new technologies introduced to the farmers is The Silage Master, which will address these challenges by providing innovative silage bagging solution designed to preserve silage by stopping oxygen transpiration, the main cause of silage spoilage, giving a perfect anaerobic condition for fermentation and further reducing deterioration of the nutritional quality of the fodder.
Teresiah Wanja from Silage Master3000 said the technology is aimed at making animal feeds affordable, sustainable, and to improve the quality of animal feeds through modern preservation technology.
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“It is an advanced fodder processing machine that converts crops like maize and Napier grass into high-quality, vacuum-sealed silage,” noted Wanja.
She added that Silage Master is a multi-tasking machine that chops fodder material into small pieces, then the fodder is transferred and mixed with other nutrients in a mixing bunker to make silage. The silage is weighed and filled into bags of between 25 to 50kg which is convenient to store, use and transport.
“Once this is done, the silage is then compressed and compacted automatically before it is vacuumed to remove air to create anaerobic condition for essential bacteria growth,” she added.
The bags are then double sealed to prevent air leaks and thereafter stored ready for use after 15 days or preserved for a period of up-to two years.
She also pointed out that beyond providing a practical solution for fodder preservation, education and training have also been incorporated and embraced.
She explained that the training was meant to empower farmers to adopt modern, resilient farming practices that enhance productivity and reduce vulnerability to climate-induced shocks.
The skills gained in training also contribute to better livestock health and increased milk yields, which in turn enhance household nutrition, particularly for children who are most vulnerable to malnutrition.
By Juma Ndigo
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