Kisii Governor James Ongwae has urged dairy farmers in the county to embrace new silage preparation technologies to ensure their dairy cows do not starve during dry spells.
Ongwae underscored the importance of livestock farmers, especially dairy farmers using modern silage preparation technologies, which involve preserving pasture as a back up to animal feeds during dry seasons when there is scarcity of animal feeds.
Speaking at the Agricultural Training Centre in Kisii Town, during the County's Annual Farmers' Field Day, Ongwae observed that making silage is an important way for farmers to feed their dairy cows and other livestock during times when pasture is not available.
"Silage simply means a pasture grass that has been ‘pickled’ and it is a modern technological method to preserve the pasture," stated Ongwae.
Ongwae clarified that the grasses are cut and then fermented to keep as much of the nutrients such as sugars and proteins as possible, to ensure the required minerals and nutrients derived by animals from natural pasture are not lost or compromised.
He challenged technicians and experts in the field of modern silage preparation technologies to devolve the technologies to the grassroots farmers.
Metadata