NEWS:

23 May, 2016


Dairy farmers admiring a seed multiplication plot
A CABMACC project that is evaluating feeding and breeding technologies for optimal dairy productivity and reduced carbon emissions also known as ‘Redcap’ organized a field day for dairy farmers in Mayani, Dedza district. The field day, which took place May 6th 2016, was aimed at training dairy farmers in feed formulation and general cattle Kraal management.

The redcap project aims to contribute towards reducing dairy carbon foot print through identification of existing dairy breeds and grades and supporting feeding systems and feed quality for improved productivity in the context of mitigation and adaptation to climate change while contributing to farmer’s livelihood. The project is targeted at 100 dairy farmers from Mayani and Lithipe Extension Planning Areas.

During the event farmers viewed pasture feed demonstration plots of Centrocema, Rhodes grass ( Nkolambizi) and a Leucena field grown by lead farmers for seed multiplication purposes.

Dr. Liveness Banda, Redcap Principal Investigator, explained that the project strives to promote farmers in supporting one another with respect to capacity building. She further said that it was necessary that the farmers be trained by their fellow farmers while highlighting the need to motivate the farmers for suitability of the activities.

One female farmer, Mrs. Agness Kim, demonstrated the process of dairy mash formulation using locally available materials that included pasture from the demonstration plots. She credited the increase in milk production, prolonged heat and bone strength of her cattle to the dairy mash that she formulates on her own.

The farmers were later trained in Dairy Cattle Kraal management by Mr. Kayange, a dairy cattle farmer on whose cattle kraal the demonstration took place. He advised his fellow farmers to construct their cattle kraals as recommended by the department of livestock in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development. According to Mr. Kayange a recommended cattle kraal should always be kept clean and have the following features: a resting area, eating area and an exercising area with concrete floors of a slight slope.

Looking forward to exercising his profound skills in feed formulation, Paul Sakanyama, a dairy farmer from Dzaone Wekha Banking group was thrilled that he would no longer be purchasing expensive dairy marsh from shops. “We have been motivated from this experience and we have appreciated the need to be exercise good dairy farming practices if high milk yields are to be realized. We now realize the importance of increasing the portions of our land to grow pasture for our cattle and use it to make dairy mash”. Said Sakanyama.

Dr. Liveness Banda emphasized that better management of dairy animals result in higher productivity and increased availability of high-quality protein, vitamins, minerals and other micro nutrients, vital to human health. “Good animal management is an important catalyst in reducing poverty and boosting human health” Said Dr. Liveness Banda.

She further explained how unmanaged, dairy animals can negatively impact on the environment through the production of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and indirectly through the destruction of biodiversity, degradation of land, and water and air pollution
“That is why the identification of existing dairy breeds and grades and supporting feeding systems and feed quality project will contribute towards reducing dairy carbon foot print and improved productivity while mitigating and adapting to climate change. This will eventually contribute to farmer’s improved livelihoods”. Said Dr Banda.

The Redcab Project is by LUANAR's Capacity Building for Managing Climate Change (CABMACC) program, with funding from the Royal Kingdom of Norway. CABMACC aims at promoting Adaptation and Mitigation to the impacts of Climate Change



Written By Christie Kang’ombe