Dairy Farming: How to Maximize Productivity on a Small Piece of Land

a Case of Kyakuwa Dairy Farm Dr. Jolly Kabirizi Presentation made to members of North Kampala Rotary Club during a zoom meeting held on 5th Oct 2020 Presentation Outlne 1. Kyakuwa Farm (Location, acreage--) 2. Reasons for farming on a small piece of land 3. Farm enterprises 4. Kyakuwa dairy cattle unit . Feed sources, types & processing . Challenges affecting Kyakuwa dairy farm . Sustainable Farming Practices on Kyakuwa Farm . Contribution of Kyakuwa farm to communities 6. Dairy investment opportunities in Uganda Reasons for farming on a small piece of land . Demonstrate profitable & sustainable smallholder dairy farming. . Availability of a good market for milk. . Source of market, farm & industrial wastes----to be converted into high quality feeds. . Create employment opportunities. . Daily source of income (“A dairy cow is the best tenant”.) . Research purposes. . Food and nutrition security. Kyakuwa Farm (location, acreage--)

. Location: Seguku Cell 4, Makindye Ssabagabo Municipal Council, Wakiso District (8 km, Kampala-Entebbe road)

. Total land area: 0.45 acres

. Year of establishment: April 1990

. Our motto: “The Footsteps of a Farmer are the Best Fertilizer” (“The closer you are to your plants & animals each day, the easier it is to observe & respond to their needs.”----more profits).---’Telephone farming does not pay” Kyakuwa Farm Enterprises

1. Dairy cattle unit (includes feed production from farm wastes). 2. Livestock manure for sale, feed and/or briquettes production 3. Aquaculture ---small-scale fish farming 4. Vegetable production using hydroponics system (growing vegetables without soil) 5. Aquaponics (vegetable production using water from fish ponds) 6. Poultry & Goat production 7. Agri-tourism (educational study tours) 8. The farm hosts Bavubuka Twekembe Group Kyakuwa dairy cattle unit

. Cattle breed: Seven crossbred Friesian cows . Grazing system: Zero grazing system . Milk yield/cow/day: 15-30 Litres . Price of milk/litre: Ushs 2000 . Feed types: (1) Purchased feeds (2) Feeds processed on farm NB: Feeds contribute over 65% of the total cost of production in a profitable small-scale dairy cattle enterprise. Examples of purchased feeds

Brewery spent grain Sweet potato vines Grass hay

Banana peels Sugarcane bagasse Silage 2. Examples of feeds processed at Kyakuwa Farm

2.1. Multi-nutrient Feed Blocks “Lick blocks containing energy, protein, vitamins & minerals required by the animal”. Ingredients Quantity (%) Milled maize stover 43 Mexican Sunflower Sunflower cake 10 Mexican sunflower leaf hay 10 Mineral premix 2 Salt 1 Calcium bentonite (binder) 4 Maize bran 10 Molasses 20 Multi-nutrient feed block 2.2. Sweet Potato Vine Silage

. A youth from Owino market supplies the farm with a pick-up of sweet potato vines & other crop residues once a week. . Fresh vines are chopped and fed to the cows .

. Members of Bavubuka Twekembe Group make sweet potato silage for sale to dairy & pig farmers. The group is supported by the International Potato Center (CIP) Sweet potato vine silage as a business: Average income from growing one acre of sweet potatoes Sweet potato product Yield/acre/ Average income season (Shs/acre/season) Roots (120 kg bag)-food 50 bags 4,000,000 Sweet potato vine silage 6,500 kgs 3,250,000 Sweet potato roots & silage 7,250,000

Roots Silage 2.3. Maize stover haylage . Maize stover is purchased from farms. . The stover is chopped & mixed with 30% processed poultry litter. . Molasses mixed with brewery yeast solution (ration of 1:3) is added & the mixture is ensiled. . The haylage is supplemented with dairy meal, minerals & protein

Maize stover Sprinkle molasses Maize stover silage Maize stover haylage as a business: Average income from growing one acre of maize

Maize product Yield (kgs/acre) Income (Ushs) 1. Maize grain 1,500 1,350,000 2. Maize stover haylage 1,600 800,000 3. Maize silage 7,000 3,500,000

1 2 3 2.4. Sugarcane bagasse haylage

“Sugarcane bagasse is a by-product of sugar processing factory”

Ingredients used to make haylage Ingredients Quantity (kgs) Sugarcane bagasse 50 Molasses mixed with brewery 15 yeast solution (1:3) Mexican sunflower leaf hay 20 Processed poultry litter 15 Sugarcane bagasse 2.5. Sugarcane bagasse dairy pellets Ingredients Quantity (kg) Sugarcane bagasse 36 Crushed maize grain 10 Legume leaf hay 10 Soya bean meal 26 Dairy pellets Sugarcane bagasse Salt 1 Mineral Premix 2 . The project is implemented by Molasses 10 Bavubuka Twekembe Group. Calcium bentonite 5 . NaLIRRI/NARO donated a pelleting (aflatoxin binder) equipment & mixer 2.6 Brewer's grain or spent grain as a feed

“A by-product of the brewing process”. 1. Ensiling wet brewer’s waste alone or mixed with hay or stover & fed after 21 days:  Feed a cow at a rate of: 10 to 15 kg/day Brewery spent grain  Feed a calf at a rate of: 2-4 kg/day.

. Brewer’s waste silage can be stored for 6 months. . Brewery waste can be dried in a solar dryer. Solar drier 2.7. Recycling poultry litter into feed . Poultry Litter is “a mixture of poultry droppings, spilled feed, feathers & bedding material”. . Contains about 25% protein BUT it has harmful bacteria.

Methods used to process poultry litter. (a) Roasting or sun drying . Get poultry litter from disease free farms. Poultry waste . Sieve the litter to remove foreign objects. . Roast or dry in a solar dryer to destroy the bacteria. (b) Ensiling forages with poultry litter

. Mix milled rice straw or maize stover, poultry litter and rice bran in a ratio of 5:2:3 . . Add 20% diluted molasses, ensile & store for 30 days.

(c) Heaping/stacking poultry litter . The litter is heaped to a depth of about 1.5 m under a roof for 30 days. Do not feed poultry litter to in-calf cows in . Stacking poultry their last month— could cause milk fever. litter 2.8. Feeding pasture grass hay to dairy cows . The farm purchases 40 bales of Rhodes hay every months . The hay is chopped into pieces of about 5cm length & mixed with dry or wilted Mexican sunflower, to improve protein content of grass hay. . The mixture is soaked in diluted molasses for about 3 hours. . Cows are supplemented with dairy meal, clean water & mineral supplements. 2.9. Hydroponic green maize fodder

. Hydroponic green maize fodder is produced by growing seeds without soil but in nutrients rich solutions. . The seed is grown on perforated plastic trays in a low cost greenhouse. . The seed is irrigated 3 times a day. . The fodder is ready after 8 days. . 1 kg of maize grain can produce 6-8 kg of green fodder with 14% protein

.Provide cows with 10-20 kg/day as a supplement. Advantages of hydroponic green fodder

. Requires little land & water . High quality green fodder (about 16% protein) is produced in 8 days . 1 kg of maize grain can produce 6 to 8 kg of green fodder. . Reduced cost of feed . Low cost structure. . Cows are supplemented with 16-20 kg of hydroponic green fodder . Improved performance of dairy cows. Daily Activities and Feeding Programme at Kyakuwa Farm Time Activity and feeds offered to the cows 5.30-6.30am . Milking (maximum 3 cows) . Cows are offered 3 kgs/cow of dairy meal or 3 kgs/cow brewery spent grain 6.30am- . Remove leftovers from feed troughs 4.00pm . Clean and disinfect the stalls with Kerol . Chop fodder using a motorized forage chopper. . Fill feed troughs with balanced feeds 4.30-5.00pm . Milking (supplements are same as at 5.30am) 5.30-7.00 pm . Clean stalls and fill feed troughs . The cows have access to feed, water & mineral supplements throughout the day & night. . Leftovers are recycled to make multi-nutrient feed blocks Challenges affecting smallholder dairy farms (general)

. Limited resources e.g. land, capital, water & feed. . High cost and/or poor quality inputs (feed & drugs---). . Poor availability of artificial insemination & veterinary services---low conception rates. . Labour is very costly & not readily available. . Limited knowledge of livestock husbandry practices. . Poor breeds –low milk yield. . Inappropriate waste management. . Diseases and pests Sustainable (economic, social & environmental) farming practices on Kyakuwa farm

1. Keep few but improved cattle breeds for better management. 2. Continue to upgrade the breed & cull unproductive animals.. 3. Provide the cows with adequate (quantity & quality) feed, water and mineral supplements throughout the day & night 4. Control diseases & pests-----observe strict bio-security. 5. Keep farm records. 6. Consult experts & use improved farming technologies. 7. Create a farm management team or profit team---motivate workers. 8. Use labour, time, capital & fuel saving technologies to improve farm productivity.

Multipurpose Solar powered Ecostove motorized forage (Uses volcanic stones) chopper/ hammer mill 9. Maintain a clean & safe environment . Manure produced from 3 cows is sufficient to produce the amount of gas needed for cooking and lighting on a farm. . Convert livestock waste into fertilizers, biogas, charcoal briquettes or feeds.

Cow dung briquettes

Biogas unit . Conserve water to mitigate urban flooding. . Plant fruit trees for nutrition & income security & climate change mitigation. . Appropriate use & disposal of agricultural & veterinary chemicals and fertilizers. . Plant snake repellents (Lemon grass, Tobacco, Onions, Garlic & Mother-in-law’s Tongue) to keep away snakes.

Mother-in-law’s Tongue . Recycle old plastic & timber materials into beautiful vegetable gardens. . Control flies on the farm--- use sticky glue-based traps to catch insects/pests on the farm.

Insect sticky trap cards . Use strong disinfectants such as Kerol in foot- baths, manure pits, pit latrines & to keep away unpleasant odor on the farm. . Good general management.

. Stress & loud noise can inhibit the release of oxytocin – a hormone key to the milk-releasing process.

 Research has shown that cows feel amazingly at peace & relaxed when they listen to music & hence, they produce more milk. Contribution of Kyakuwa Farm to Communities

. Developed & promoted improved technologies within & outside Uganda to improve dairy cattle production & household income. . Equipped youth groups with skills on income generating projects---- positive change in behaviour of the youths. . Improved nutrition of children & women. . Donated 4 heifers and 10 bull calves . Published scientific papers & farmer information materials A book “Climate smart forages and supplemental feeds for dairy cows under zero-grazing system in Uganda” is available Investment opportunities to improve smallholder dairy farming . Establish private breeding farms to produce in-calf heifers for sale. . Process market, industries & farm wastes into feeds . . Process milk (value addition) into powdered milk, ghee---. . Promote study tours to well managed farms (agri-tourism). . Process manure into dry powder fertilizer, pesticides, briquettes. . Develop low cost silage packing & sealing equipment. Acknowledgements . Members of Kampala North Rotary Club . Kyakuwa Farm staff . Seguku community . NaLIRRI/NARO . International Potato Centre

For more information please contact: Jolly Kabirizi (PhD) Tel: +256 777912716 There is value in milk! Email: [email protected] (Strength, Beauty, Fitness, Website: http://www.jollykabirizi.com Money, Manure---) Thank you for your attention