Over 40 farmers from Matasia in Kajiado North Sub-County have benefited from training on improved forage production and sustainable landscape management through the Integrated and Climate Smart Innovations for Agro-Pastoralist Economies and Landscapes in Kenya’s Arid and Semi-arid Lands (ICSIAPL) Project.
The project that is being implemented by SNV Netherlands Development Organization and Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) aims to boost the economic standards of predominantly pastoralist’s communities through value addition livestock agriculture.
According to Simon Kuria of KALRO, the project will train beef and dairy cattle farmers in Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) value addition livestock agriculture by reducing the cost of fodder production and maximizing the use of the vast arid land.
“We brought 10 types of researched drought resistant grass and legumes to test their performance in different parts of Kajiado. The average production of a Friesian cow has been 8 litres of milk per day yet they are capable of producing more than 20 litres which would give higher returns,” said Kuria.
The Kajiado County Project Liaison Officer Francis Ole Kiango has reiterated the importance of the ICSIAPL project in improving the economic status of beef and dairy farmers in Kajiado County through increased production.
“We would like our farmers to learn and practice improved livestock agricultural practices to increase their production. Learning how to grow and produce high quality livestock feed at a low cost will help farmers to avoid expensive low quality livestock feed from stores,” Kiango said.
The three-year project which is funded by the European Union and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands will be carried out in Narok, Taita Taveta and Kajiado counties.