Feed for livestock is the most important factor in successful livestock farming. In Sahelian countries such as Niger, cereal crop stover (leaves and stalks) are major sources of feed for ruminant animals, especially during the dry season. Many livestock farmers feed their animals whole plant residues of their crops, leading to wastage and also adversely affecting the digestion of animals. Others manually cut the stover into small pieces – a laborious and time-consuming process. Fodder chopping machines are proving to be a great help to livestock farmers in rural Niger, by providing suitable feed to their animals while saving their time and effort. In five villages, groups of farmers are making the most of an initiative to provide these machines to the farmers.

1. NewsletterHappenings
In-house version 23 October 2020, No.1877
Fodder chopping machines lead to a thriving livestock
feed enterprise in rural Niger
Fodder chopping machines are proving to be a great
help to livestock farmers in rural Niger, by providing
suitable feed to their animals while saving their time and
effort. In five villages, groups of farmers are making the
most of an initiative to provide these machines to the
farmers.
Feed for livestock is the most important factor in
successful livestock farming. In Sahelian countries such
as Niger, cereal crop stover (leaves and stalks) are major
sources of feed for ruminant animals, especially during
the dry season. Many livestock farmers feed their
animals whole plant residues of their crops, leading to
wastage and also adversely affecting the digestion of
animals. Others manually cut the stover into small
pieces – a laborious and time-consuming process.
To enhance the use of crop residues while improving
their quality, ICRISAT and partners (see box below)
supported five associations (three women’s groups and
two men’s groups of about 25 stakeholders in each
group/association) in five villages in Niger (Dioga and
Ticko in Torodi region; Babon Kori, Akora Idi and
Karazomé in Maradi region) by equipping them with one
chopping machine each. The chopping machines were
given on the understanding that the beneficiary
association would engage in feed processing business
and reimburse the cost of the chopper in one year.
The association chopped crop residues from community
members who paid around 600 CFA (US$ 1) per bag of
chopped residues. After five months of activity, over 100
tons (4,000 bags) of cereal stover (mainly millet) were
chopped for about 200 customers, generating an
equivalent of US$ 4,200. The chopped feed sold at the
local market for an equivalent of US$ 22,000.
Moreover, each association reported the following
benefits:
▪▪ Chopping machines facilitated the formulation of
rations based on local feeds.
▪▪ Chopped cereal stover could be stored in bags instead
of in open shed (hangars) where they lose flavor and
nutritive value and are also prone to insect attack.
▪▪ Farmers are earning incomes from the feed business
and market opportunities in their community.
According to participants, the fodder chopping machines
also created employment opportunities for youth who
assist farmer’s associations in some operations
(transportation of feed and choppers to different sites).
Most importantly, the chopping machines played a key
role in stimulating the development of small feed
markets around the collection, chopping and
commercialization of feed from crop residues as small
businesses that generate incomes as a support to the
development of feed value chain.
The fodder chopping machine.
Project: Enabling Value Chains to Create Sustainable Income
for Vulnerable People in Crop-Livestock Systems of Burkina
Faso and Niger
Partners: International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI); the
Institut de l’Environnement de Recherches Agricoles (INERA) in
Burkina Faso, The Conseil National de Recherche Agronomique
(CNRA) in Niger; Resilience and Economic Growth in the Sahel
Enhanced Resilience (REGIS_AG); Mercy Corps Niger; and
Association pour la Promotion de l’Élevage au Sahel et en
Savane (APSS).
Funder: Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems
(funded by USAID)
CGIAR Research Program: Grain Legumes and Dryland Cereals
This work contributes
to the UN Sustainable
Development Goals:
Photo: A Amadou, ICRISAT