Strategies dairy farmers can adopt during harsh conditions

Sustainability in light of climate change and its effects is a message that resonates with farmers and one which was clearly resounded during the annual Farmers’ Field Day, in the cattle corridor of Ngoma town, in Nakaseke District.

In terms of climate resilience, Dr Moses Kasaawe, a veterinary personnel who has worked in Ngoma for years, says the area is prone toharsh conditions, adding that the climate conditions occur to the extremes.

Harvest rain water
“It can be extremely dry such that animals neither have feed or water and it can be extremely wet to the extent that roads are impassable and some grazing lands are not available to the animals. We are teaching farmers to harvest water and government has offered a cost-sharing service, where the equipment is available and the farmer has to pay for fuel and the operator,” the veterinary doctor explains.

The costs are dependent on the depth of excavation a farmer wants or an area might need. The average land holding in Ngoma is between 100 and 400 acres and for a few, up to one square mile.

W. Water Works, one of the exhibitors at the day-long farmers’ day, showcased a solar pumping system, with pumps of different capacity. “The one we are proposing for farmers is an efficient one that strictly uses solar and does not require too much power to run yet can give enough water to them. It uses 800 watts. It is ideal for dairy farmers or a community of up to 10,000 people which needs irrigation services. It goes for Shs15m that can be paid in instalments,” James Ojok an employee of the company, explains.

The pump can tap water from various options, including underground, river, lake a well and borehole.
In an interview with Seeds of Gold, Titus Kasujja, a dairy farmer, was emphatic in his advice to cattle keepers and fellow dairy farmers to ensure a sustained availability of water since cows depend on water in order to produce sufficient quantities of milk.

Grow more pasture
“When it comes to inadequacy of feeds, there are seed providers here who are selling improved seeds that farmers should use to plant for conservation purposes.

We encourage farmers as much as possible to ensure that at all times, they have within their farms a sustainable business plan.
For instance, they do not need to cut down all their trees just to keep a cow,” explains John Gethi, director of milk procurement at Brookside, owners of Fresh Dairy

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Dr Kasaawe further explains that farmers are encouraged to adopt the practice of growing pasture, its management and harvesting such that in periods when grazing lands are not available, there is enough pasture stored away.

“We are also introducing the concept of supplementation because most animals are dependent on natural pastures,” Dr Kasaawe, also country representative of Ceva Sante Animale, manufacturers of animal medicine, and one of the exhibitors at the Farmers’ Field Day, said.

The salt on which they feed is not nutritious so Ceva Sante is bringing in custom made animal salt and concentrates to be able to give an animal a fulsome feed to produce enough milk.

Gethi implores farmers not to dispose of their manure in an irresponsible manner but rather circulate it into their trees, cattle foliage and bio digesters as well, to help, again, in managing the eco system in a sustainable way.

“We have Heifer International demonstrating how water harvesting on people’s farms can be put to use by the farmer. They harvest the water which was ordinarily going to waste,” he notes.

“Our exports were worth $15m and what we paid out to the farmers were in excess of Shs65b. All the people who are gathered here (Farmers’ Field Day) are beneficiaries of the milk business,” reveals Gethi.

Brookside Dairy Limited took over management of Uganda dairy operator Sameer Agriculture and Livestock Limited (SALL), in 2015, with commitment to work with Uganda farmers to ensure consistent milk production.

Sustainability is a critical part of the milk processing business and Gethi adds that they are rooting for ecological farming to ensure that the environment is well taken care of so that dairy farmers stay in the business of milk collection and production.