Maziwa Zaidi (More Milk) in Tanzania: Best-bet
Technologies and Innovations
Make money from forage hay production as a business
Solomon Mwendia, Uwe Ohmstedt and Michael Peters
Key messages and solutions
• Between 55 and 70% of the total costs in livestock
production are feed related. As people demand more
animal products, the demand for reliable feeds
increases.
• Feeding cattle with improved forage grasses leads to
improved productivity and quality of animals
• Seasonal forage deficits in the dry season are best
bridged with forage conservation – hay, silage
• These products and especially hay, can be traded in
the market; it is important to address nutrient
quality of the products
Opportunities and benefits
• Producing and selling hay is a good economic opportunity for
youth and women, especially in groups
• Farmer cooperatives can produce hay for sale to members and
beyond
• People who own larger land can mechanize forage production
• Forages and related products do not require heavy initial
investments
Pictures
Suitability
• Hay producers benefit from well-functioning forage seed systems
• Brachiaria requires more than 800mm annual rainfall for good
performance
• Rhodes requires more than 600mm annual rainfall for good
performance.
Evidence
• For forage business though hay production, work
elsewhere in east Africa shows you need to cultivate
at least 4 acres.
• Growing Brachiaria, a net Income of USD 7,500 per
acre with gross margin of 64% is possible
• Growing Rhodes grass, a net income of USD 1400 –
2590 per acre with gross margin of 52 -54% is
possible
• Since the grasses can be maintained over several
years, soil fertility is key, also keeping the fields weed
free.
This document has a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. October 2019
March 2017
Problem statement
• Low livestock productivity is often due to under-
feeding of the animals – quality and quantity
• Increasing livestock productivity contributes to better
incomes, better nutrition and reduced greenhouse
gas emissions per unit livestock product - milk/meat
Maziwa Zaidi thanks all donors and organizations which globally support the work of ILRI and its partners through their contributions to the CGIAR system