Alternative Fodder

Alternative Fodder

As a result of prolonged drought linked to climate changes, communities in Mwingi District have now turned to modified alternative fodder for their livestock feeds. Mwingi is an Arid Semi Arid Land (ASAL) area found in lower Eastern Province, it covers a total of six Districts, which are Mwingi Central, Mwingi East, Mwingi West, Kyuso, Tseikuru and Mumoni. Although the area is dry most times of the year, the economic potential is high and cuts across all the sectors. This includes ventures in agricultural activities and trading in quite a number of goods and services.
The climate of the District is generally hot and dry for the greater part of the year. The maximum mean annual temperature ranges between 260 C and 340 C whereas the minimum mean annual temperature ranges between 140 C and 220 C. This translates into an
average annual temperature of 240 C. The District experiences long stretches of dry and hot seasons. Farmers depend on March-August rains and November- December rains.
The area has experienced a one and a half year prolonged drought due to the failure of December 2008 and March 2009 rains.
All forests and crops have dried up as well as the grass and what remains are dry rivers, skeleton of a forest and plain land.
Kyuso District depends on livestock as an economic activity. Last year most cattle died due to hunger and only a few heads survived the drought. Those surviving were thin and weak and vulnerable to diseases and even death. For lack of food, they turned to feeding on plastics, leather shoes and polythene papers.
The Ministry of Agriculture supplied very little relief grass to a few communities that was not enough. The grass distributed was dry that the animals could not feed on without water. The Livestock Agricultural officers were left with no option but to advise the community to feed the animals on anything that has water and is green, so long as they survive.
They gathered into groups to discuss how they can feed their livestock to avoid the deaths। They identifield trees that store water in their roots and stems as a drought coping mechanism, and decided to use them during drought as an alternative livestock feeds. See full details>>