A Lifeline for Livestock

By Derrick Silimina

At his dairy farm in Kiambu County on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital Nairobi, Newton Mwangi anxiously takes off his boots and work suit after milking his cows. Mwangi is worried about the inability of the cows to hit the 80-litre target he needs to fulfil for his clients per day, due to a woeful fodder shortage in Kenya.

Like other dairy farmers, Mwangi is struggling to get enough fodder to feed his animals in a bid to increase milk yield. “Drought is affecting the growth of grass, which is affecting fodder supply and as a result, my animals lack adequate feed to provide me the 150 litres of fresh milk I used to get some years ago when we had enough pasture,” Mwangi told ChinAfrica. 

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, the East African country is grappling with a 60-percent feed deficit in a total annual livestock feed demand of 55 million tonnes.  

Mwangi, 48, noted that the shortage has pushed up the cost of fodder, making it even more difficult to properly feed his 20 dairy cows every day. “I urgently need alternative fodder to help me sustain my cows or else I risk losing them,” lamented Mwangi, adding that as climate change continues to threaten human and animal existence, some pastoralists like him are finding it difficult to sustain their livestock. 

The State Department for Livestock of Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development said the East African country needs 55 million tonnes of feed annually, but only produces 40 percent of that, with over 40 percent lost during the post-harvest handling. 

Fortunately, Chinese agripreneur Jack Liu is on a mission to end the fodder shortage and is determined to increase milk yields for dairy farmers in Kenya. “It is this gap that inspired me to venture into animal feeds. The recent drought situation has affected the majority of arid and semi-arid areas, where many pastoralists have lost their livestock,” Liu said. 

The magic grass 

In 2021, after learning that farmers were struggling to feed their livestock with quality grass, Liu, CEO of Crevation International Ltd., introduced Juncao grass in Kenya.  

Commonly referred to as the Chinese magic grass at his modern farm near Kitengela, Liu said that Juncao grass grows well in a number of areas, including arid and semi-arid lands as farmers only need to ensure that irrigation water is available. 

Liu said that Juncao, literally “mushroom grass” in Chinese, was invented by Chinese scientist Lin Zhanxi after 30 years of research. 

The lush, tall and succulent green grass has since taken most dairy farmers in Kenya by storm due to its rich proteins that are key to high milk output. It has helped local cattle breeders to maintain supplies of fresh milk to their local shopping centres, thus maintaining their income and livelihood.  

Edwin Wekesa, Liu’s farm manager who is based at the Kambi Ya Moto farm in Rongai, Nakuru, recently stated that Juncao grass has 18 percent protein and the cows and goats that consume the grass produce more milk. “The grass is free of pests, sustainable, and reliable. It can prevent desertification and cope with climate change,” Wekesa said.  

Each day, local dairy farmers flock to Liu’s farm to learn how to grow the Chinese magic grass in a bid to enhance their productivity. 

Boyd Kamau, a local pastoralist, affirmed that unlike the local napier grass, the Chinese magic grass is more nutritious, has softer leaves and takes two to three months to mature. 

“At my farm, we also process the harvested green fodder as silage that can be preserved for up to three years,” stated Kamau, adding that Juncao seedlings are affordable.  

Grown in over 100 countries worldwide and gaining traction in Africa, Juncao grass has broad leaves and sugar-rich stems with an annual yield of about 445 tonnes per hectare. It takes 12 weeks to mature and can be harvested more than five times annually. 

Since 2021, the grass has revolutionised animal husbandry in Kenya’s semi-arid areas, guaranteeing an uninterrupted supply of nutritious fodder to herders and subsistence farmers. 

Dairy farmer Melody Kimani started feeding her cows Juncao grass after harvesting the Chinese magic fodder on her 1-acre (0.4-hectare) farmland a year ago, “I’ve observed that my livestock is putting on weight because Juncao grass has proved to be more nutritious compared to traditional pasture. This has increased dairy production.”  

Higher yields 

Fodder experts say Juncao grass has a crude protein content of 18 percent. In addition, it is rich in micro elements and can also be fed to chicken, fish, goats, and pigs. 

In this context, Kenya, Uganda and Somalia are among the six countries to pilot a programme to plug persistent shortage of feedstock. Under the programme dubbed Resilient African Feed and Fodder Systems, researchers want to improve livestock production and, by extension, nutrition. 

As to the concerns of some local scientists about the potential effect of the introduction of Juncao grass on the country’s biodiversity, the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) has affirmed that after thorough inspections and audits at an open quarantine facility in southeastern part of Kenya, the regulator found that Juncao grass complied with all plant health requirements. 

“Monitoring of Juncao grass by the regulator has been ongoing and no threat to human or environmental health has been detected,” said Erick Were, an inspector at KEPHIS. 

When fed to dairy cows, Liu said that Juncao grass can boost milk yield by 40 percent, while beef cattle can attain 500 kg of weight in 12 months. 

With climate change and drought ravaging some parts of the country, embracing Juncao has provided a lifeline to livestock of some Kenyan pastoralists like Mwangi.  

“I can’t wait to see my Juncao seedlings grow and switch to feeding my animals so that I enhance my dairy production and meet local demand for the supply of fresh milk to our local shopping centres,” Mwangi said.