Forage and crop by-product utilisation: preliminary results on farmers' adoption with lactating dairy cows

Kassim M. Biwi
Livestock Development, P. O. Box 159, Zanzibar.

Abstract
Introduction
Materials and methods
Results and discussion
Conclusion
Acknowledgement
References

Abstract

Forage and crop by-products were utilised to feed lactacting dairy cows in a crop-livestock integration package. Fourteen smallholder farmers owning 3 - 5 hectares of land and practicing crop livestock integration with dairy cattle were monitored in Unguja and Pemba to see how well the technological package was adopted.

A forage mixture of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) Guatemala grass (Tripsicum laxum), gliricidia (Gliricidia maculate) or leucaena, (Leucaena leucocephala) and banana pseudo-stems and leaves fed to lactating cows influenced milk yield to indicate a reasonable good adoption of the feeding practice by smallholders.

Number of insemination per conception were 2 and 3.4 and calving intervals were 13.1 months and 14.3 months for Unguja and Pemba respectively. Adoption in Pemba was slower compared to Unguja inspite of breed differences of the cattle used.

Occurrence of East Coast Fever was more frequent in Pemba and this indicated low adoption rate in the use of acaricides for spraying.

It is expected that intensifying extension and credit facilities will increase rate of adoption as these appear to be the main constraints.

Introduction

Landmass area of Zanzibar is only 2332 km² with a human population of nearly 0.5 million people and growing at a rate of 2.7% per year (Dept. of statistics, 1984). Crop-livestock integration has been advocated as a means of efficiently utilising land in the cropping areas. On station research carried out by FAO in Zanzibar between 1980 - 1985 indicated that a farm family could thrive on 3 - 5 hectares of land if crop-livestock integration is fully practiced where dairy cattle and few poultry birds are kept and crops and forages such as bananas, sweet potatoes, cassava, elephant grass, guatemala grass, gliricidia, leucaena and kudzu (Pureraria phaseoloides) are grown. Forages and crop by-products fed to dairy cattle tremendously increased revenues (Pedersen et al., 1984). Since early 1987, a crop-livestock integrated technological package is being disseminated to livestock keepers in the country.

This paper discusses preliminary results of production parameters as adopted by farmers and the constraints encountered during the process of adoption of the technological package.

Materials and methods

Selected Farmers
Cattle Used
Roughage Used
Concentrate
Technological Package

Selected Farmers

Fourteen farmers were selected within the two islands of Unguja and Pemba. These farmers were given alphabetical identification letters from A to N. Together they had a total of 21 milking cows most of which were in their first lactation. The choice of the farmers was limited by the rate at which monitoring could be conducted on their farms, and also by the fact that during the time of selection in early 1987, there was not as yet wide participation by farmers. Selection was also based on the willingness of the farmers to be monitored constantly and those who agreed to grow forages and food crops, and to provide zero grazing management.

Cattle Used

In Unguja Island the type of breed used by the farmers was mainly Jersey. In Pemba island a composite breed made up of Sahiwal, Ayrshire and Brown Swiss originating from Wilson's farm at Kilifi, Mombasa, Kenya was used. In Unguja the emphasis is on milk production, while in Pemba the emphasis is on a dual purpose animal for milk and meat.

Roughage Used

Forages grown were elephant grass, Pennisetum purpureum var Gold Coast and guatemala grass, Tripscum laxum. Legumes included Leucaena Leucocephala, Gliricidia maculata and Tropical Kudzu, Pueraria phaseoloiders. Banana stems and leaves were the crop by-products mostly used. These were all cut and fed to the animals individually in their stalls. Nutritional values of some of these forages is still being assessed.

Concentrate

A home made concentrate consisting of one part coconut cake to three parts rice bran with some molasses and maclik supper, a Wellcome Kenya Ltd mineral mixture, was provided to milking cows. Supplementation was based on milk yield, one kilogram concentrate for each 2 kg of milk after the first 4 kg. This mixture was preferred because it was cheaper at TShs. 125/- per 50 kg compared to TShs. 500/= per kg for cattle feed manufactured by state owned feed mill.

Technological Package

During the monitoring the technological package emphasized to the farmers consisted of:

i) Record keeping
ii) Feeding practices
iii) Forage and food crop maintenance
iv) Regular spraying (Disease survillance)

Parameters observed as a measure of adoption of technological package included the following:

i) Actual milk yield and fat-corrected milk
ii) Number of inseminations per conception
iii) Calving intervals
iv) occurrence (No. of times).

Adoption rate of technological package was considered low, medium and high as follows:

i) For milk yields
- Mean yield below 1500 kg/Cow/lactation - low
- Mean yield between 1500-2500 kg/Cow/lactation - medium
- Mean yield above 2500 kg/Cow/lactation - high

ii) For number of inseminations per conception:
- 3.5 - 4 and above inseminations - low
- 2 - 3.5 insemination - medium
- 1 insemination - high

iii) Calving intervals
- above 15 months - low
- 13 - 15 months - medium
- 12 - months - high

iv) Disease occurrence
- above 50% - low
- 25% - 50% - medium
- below 25% - high

Results and discussion

Selected Farmers
Cattle Used
Roughage Used
Concentrate
Technological Package

Milk yield

Table 1 shows actual milk yield and fat-corrected milk yield attained by farmers in Unguja island, while Table 3 shows actual milk yield attained by farmers in Pemba island.

Arithmetic means for actual milk yield and yield of fat-corrected milk for Unguja were 1940 kg/Cow/lactation and 2165 kg/Cow/lactation respectively. The mean fat-corrected milk yield found was similar to that reported by Hamad (1986). Hamad (1986) found that milk yield in the first lactation in a large Jersey dairy farm in Unguja was 2035.7 kg. Yield attained by the smallholders monitored in this study compares favourably with this finding.

The rate of adopting practices pertaining to milk production was found to be in the medium range with 1940 kg/Cow/lactation and 2165 kg/Cow/lactation for actual and fat- corrected milk respectively. Mean actual milk yield for Pemba 1612 kg /Cow/lactation was slightly lower compared to Unguja yield. The adoption rate was found to be in the medium range.

Table 1: Actual and fat corrected milk yields per lactation (Unguja).

Owner	Cow No/Name	Breed	Actual milk yield (kg)	Fat content (g/100 g)	Fat- corrected (kg)
A	1964	F1	1847	3.40	1681
	Mabaka	J2	1690	5.50	2070
B	Bimkubwa	J	2456	4.26	2552
C	932	J	1325	4.51	1426
D	10	F	2527	3.40	2291
	9	F	2407	3.30	2154
	Mweusi	FX3	1670	3.50	1545
E	933	J	2067	6.50	2842
	12	J	2240	5.96	2899
F	975	J	2210	6.20	2939
G	919	J	1737	5.89	2229
	979	J	1103	5.53	1356
Mean (X)			1940		2165

1. F = Friesian
2. J = Jersey
3. FX = Friesian Cross

Number of Inseminations per conception

Tables 2 and 3 show the number of inseminations per conception for Unguja and Pemba respectively. The mean insemination per conception in Unguja was 2 and 3.4 for Pemba. In both situations, adoption was in the medium range. In Pemba there was some difficulties experienced by the owners to detect heat. Probably this explains the higher number of inseminations compared to Unguja.

Calving interval

Tables 2 and 3 also show calving intervals for Unguja and Pemba respectively. The calving intervals found were 13.1 months and 14.3 months for Unguja and Pemba respectively. These findings were in the medium range of adoption. At Kilifi, Trail and Gregory (1981) reported calving interval of 13.1 months (394 days) within the Sahiwal crosses. The calving interval found within the small holdings in Pemba is higher compared to that reported at Kilifi. This again probably reflects the difficulty experienced in heat detection in Pemba and also how effective the adoption rate in observing heat symptoms was embraced by the smallholder.

Occurrence

East Coast Fever (E.C.F.) is one of the major cattle diseases in Zanzibar. Tables 2 and 3 show the number of times ECF and Mastitis occurred in Unguja and Pemba. Pemba showed a very high occurrence of ECF at 70 per cent compared to Unguja 25 percent. This means that there was a low rate of adoption as regards to ECF surveillance practices in Pemba, whereas in Unguja adoption was within the medium range. In both islands smallholders were required to hand spray their animals twice a week, but it was found that most of the farmers in Pemba did so irregularly.

Survellance of mastitis was equally adopted in Pemba and Unguja reported more cases. This was attributed to poor milking hygiene specifically exibited by one smallholder in Unguja.

Constraints observed

Crop-livestock integration is a new technology to smallholders in Zanzibar. Farmers are used to having separate areas for crops; and cattle are tethered on open land or fallow land. Zero grazing coupled with pastures and forage growing and utilisation of crop residues are all new innovations. Constraints during adoption were therefore observed and these included:

i) Financial constraints
ii) Socio-economic constraints
iii) Low perception

The major constraints observed was financial. The crop-livestock integration package entails high investment. Cattle shed, animals and drugs are all expensive and beyond the reach of smallholders. To overcome this constraint, a credit scheme has now been initiated. This entails low interest 2.5 - 3% and a grace period of twelve months before loan repayment commences.

During monitoring it was difficult to find some of the farmers particularly in the morning. Some smallholders were found to have other jobs to maintain their families especially during the early stages of adoption when no income was being generated.

Most of the smallholders monitored had low standard of education. They are simply peasant farmers. Their perception was found to be low and took time. This indicated that more frequent visits by extension staff were required, but adequate transport and sometimes motor fuel shortage problems hampered the exercise.

Table 2: Number of inseminations/conception, calving intervals and disease occurrences (Unguja).

Owner Treated	Cow No/Name	Breed	No. of Inse.	Calving	Times
			mimation/ Concet. Nos.	Intervals (Months)	ECF	Mastitis
A	1964	F	3 (0)	-	-	-
	Mabaka	J	1 (P)	12	-	1
B	Bimkubwa	J	1 (P)	12	-	-
C	932	J	3 (0)	-	-	-
D	10	F	3 (P)	15	-	-
	9	F	3 (P)	15	-	1
E	Mweusi	FX	1 (P)	12	-	-
E	933	J	1 (P)	12	-	-
	12	J	3 (0)	-	1	1
F	975	J	1 (P)	12	1	-
G	919	J	1 (A)	-	-	-
	979	J	3 (P)	15	1	3
Mean (X)			2	13.1	0.25	0.5

F = Friesian
FX = Friesian cross
(O) = Open
(P) = Pregnant

Table 3. Actual milk yield, No. of insemination/conception, calving interval and disease occurrence (Pemba).

Owner	Name/cow No.	Breed	Actual milk Yield (kg)	No. of insemination/Conception (Nos.)	Calving Interval (Months)	Times ECF	Treated Mastitis
H	Mbololo	Sc	2016	2 (P)	12.0	1	-
I	Nyota	"	1741	3 (P)	16.5	-	-
	Voi	"	1444	2 (P)	14.0	1	1
J	Suris	"	2252	4 (P)	16.5	1	1
	Harambi	"	1607	5 (P)	16.0	1	1
K	Naviosa	"	1246	3 (P)	13.0	-	-
L	Kazuauzala	"	1455	1 (P)	12.0	-	-
M	Zimamoto	"	1708	2 (0)	-	1	-
N	Bungoma	"	1047	7 (0)	-	1	-
Mean -X			1612	3.4	14.3	0.7	0.3

S^c = Sahiwal composite

Conclusion

Crop livestock integration appears to be a viable enterprise in Zanzibar. Reasonable milk yield have been obtained using forage and crop residues by smallholders in both Unguja and Pemba. Efforts to improve extension and facilitate a credit scheme will most likely improve adoption and income of the farmers.

Acknowledgement

I am grateful to all my staff who have helped in one way or another in supplying some information pertaining to this paper.

References

Department of Statistics 1984. Statistical abstract. Department of Statistics President's office. Permanent Planning Commission, Zanzibar.

Hamad, S.A. 1986. Genetic and environmental factors affecting lactation milk and fat yield of a Dairy Herd in Zanzibar. MSc. Thesis. West Virginia University, U.S.A.

Pedersen, C.H. Lund, P., Ali, R. and Vohra, D. 1984. Financial report on second year's operation of two integrated crop-husbandry demonstration units, FAO report. Document No. 2. Zanzibar.

Trail, J.C.M. and Gregory, K.E. 1981. Sahiwal Cattle:- An evaluation of their potential contribution to milk and beef production in Africa. ILCA Publication.