By Ben Lukuyu, Irene Mutambo, Emily Ouma, Julius Githinji and Alessandra Galiè

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and its partners collaborated on a study of two projects—one of pig smallholder farmers in Uganda and the other of smallholder dairy farmers in Kenya—to better understand gender dynamics in planted forages work. The study found that introducing improved forages resulted in improved livestock productivity, and, for both women and men, reduced labour burden associated with sourcing of feeds, and created time savings that are spent on other farm and non-farm enterprises. In the dairy sites in Kenya, use of improved forages also created a new income stream through the sale of forages.

I receive additional income from the sale of hay, milk and fresh fodder. I even earn Kenyan shillings 2,000 in a day. I do not borrow money from my relatives anymore.

Both the Ugandan and Kenyan projects aimed to provide the smallholder farmers with opportunities to improve forage production through reduced labour burden, low feed costs, prevention of soil erosion, and effective utilization of the available small land sizes for cultivation. The projects’ objective was to improve pig and dairy productivity through forage feeding options and increase profitability among livestock farmers through the forage marketing income stream.

The study focused on Kamuli, Masaka and Hoima districts in Uganda and Vihiga, Migori and Siaya counties in Kenya. It used a qualitative approach implemented through 18 focus groups of 145 (105 men and 140 women) farmers in total: Twelve single-sex groups of men and women and six mixed-gender groups, selected to be representative of the regions under consideration. The mixed gender group discussions were held to explore the emerging and at time contradictory issues that came up during the single sex-groups.

The outcome assessment survey focused on three key issues:

1. Time spent on cultivated improved planted forages as compared to collected forages:

Because they did not have to spend as much time searching for forage, the pig and dairy smallholder farmers had time to engage in other social and economic activities such as volunteer work at local community projects, attending women’s group meetings and participating in church activities. The saved time also allowed women to engage in handicraft and other business enterprises like selling in shops, as one man in Uganda told us:

We use the saved time to meet with our friends and socialize and engage in other farming and non-farm enterprises like poultry farming and other business, like brick laying. Personally, I am a trader of coffee, so I wake up to harvest the forage, chop and then begin my movements in the village and search for coffee.

A woman in Kenya also emphasized the importance of time saving:

The time I used to spend going to collect fodder has reduced because my forage garden is close. I harvest, chop and feed my animals. Before I would use up to six hours in search for feeds. But now, if I go to the shamba (her farm) I use less time.

2. The labour burden of collecting forages by women and youth/children affect different domains of women’s social and economic empowerment

Both men and women reported increased income from the sale of milk, pigs and forage seedlings/splits and increased manure as a result of improved forages. This enabled women to meet their basic domestic needs such as buying groceries and clothes for their children and paying school fees and medical bills. As one of them noted, ‘I receive additional income from the sale of hay, milk and fresh fodder. I even earn 2,000 shillings in a day. I do not borrow money from my relatives anymore. Even if someone called me right now asking for fodder, it is available’. Additionally, women and men easily feed their cows and pigs better because of an adequate availability of forages: ‘It reduces expenses on pig feeds. Money spent on buying feeds is saved since there is readily available feed.’

3. The forage production increases women’s inclusion in the dairy and pig value chain

Adequate feeds have facilitated an increase in milk production both for sale and home consumption. This has the potential to improve nutrition among families because household members are able to consume more milk. As one Kenyan woman told us: ‘For my case, fodder production has contributed to high milk production due to availability of quality forage for my animals throughout the year. Yes, additional activities in fodder production and preparation and dairy management have led to additional benefit in terms of increased milk production from 1 litre/cow/day to 5 litres/cow/day’.

Introducing improved forages resulted in improved livestock productivity, reduced labour burden associated with sourcing of feeds, and created time savings

ln addition, farmers reported an increase in the quantity of manure. The manure is used to fertilize cropping land, thereby increasing yields from their gardens. This can contribute to food security within households. As one male farmer told us, ‘‘There is more manure now, and I use it to fertilize my shamba, which has increased my crop yield. For example, before I would harvest just one or two sacks of maize but now the yield has increased to four sacks’.

Overall, the results from this work contributes to a better understanding of how better forages improve the quality of life for affected farmers. This is because the study revealed that planting improved forages provides year-round access to good-quality feeds, increases both the quantity and quality of animal feed while reducing feed costs, reduces the labour needed to both source feed and feed livestock, increases milk and manure production and saves time for both women and men. These benefits have improved the livelihoods, nutrition and incomes of East Africa’s pig and dairy smallholder farmers.