Presentation at CTA Workshop on “Climate Change Solutions that Work for farmers” A case study of agro-pastoralists in mandera practicing fodder production to enhance food security and resilience By Osundwa, J.N.; Onyango, D.A. and Ibrahim, M.A. (August, 2015)

1. A CASE STUDY OF AGRO-
PASTORALISTS IN MANDERA
PRACTICING FODDER
PRODUCTION TO ENHANCE
FOOD SECURITY AND
RESILIENCE
Osundwa, J.N.; Onyango, D.A. and Ibrahim, M.A.
2015

2. GEOGRAPHICAL AREA AND TARGET
BENEFICIARY GROUPS OF THE CASE STUDY
¢ Mandera County is located in the North Eastern part of Kenya.
Borders Ethiopia to the North, Somalia republic to the East.
¢ Daua-riverine areas of Mandera East and Mandera North Sub-
counties in Mandera County of Kenya.
¢ 18 villages were visited in the study; 6 in Mandera North and 12 in
Mandera East.
¢ 258 agro-pastoralists farmers (168 in Mandera East and 90 in
Mandera North) along the River Daua.
¢ Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MALF),NGOs and
CBOs supporting fodder production - VSF Suisse, COOPI, Mandera
Polytechnic, Islamic Relief Foundation and Rural Agency for
Community Development and Assistance (RACIDA).
¢ 258 farmers questionnaire interviews, 13 FGDs conducted in
Mandera East (8) and Mandera North (5).

4. IMPACTS
¢ Improved livestock nutrition and productivity = enhanced milk
production and household food security - 136 (81%) and 77 (85.6%) of the
households in Mandera East and Mandera North respectively were able to
effectively meet their household milk demand during the wet season.
¢ Reduced livestock mortality during periods of drought - 2014 drought,
NDMA and MALF bought 27,800 hay bales distributed throughout Mandera
County.
¢ Regular provision of livestock feed – for donkeys and lactating
animals
¢ Increased income from fodder sales – each bale sold between $3-5
¢ Creation of employment for farm managers, farm workers and
technicians repairing irrigation pump sets.
¢ Builds agro-pastoralists resilience to drought - hay is durable and can
be stored as a drought preparedness measure.
¢ Reduces livestock movement in search of pasture - reduces panic
movement, and helps check on the spread of livestock diseases and
rangeland degradation

5. SUSTAINABILITY: SUPPORT NEEDED BY FARMERS
¢ Access and provision of certified pasture and fodder seeds, farm tools,
production inputs (fuels, subsidy on plowing, and generators for
organized groups)
¢ Construction of central strategic reserve storage and community hay
storage facilities as a drought preparedness measure.
¢ Training, extension services and continuous monitoring by MALF and
NGOs
¢ Development of fodder marketing structures and procedures that
ensure the stability of fodder/hay prices; contract farming
¢ Improve flood control mechanisms and support more permanent
irrigation canal structures to effectively cope with climate change
challenges
¢ Linking farmers to micro-financing institutions to enhance access to
credit; to insurance schemes to safeguard farmers livelihood from
disasters associated with climate change challenges

6. REPLICATION
For replication in other ASALs national and local government roles
¢ Facilitate the development of land use plans/development strategies
that factor in irrigated farming for disaster risk reduction
¢ Develop policies that protect encroachment of pastoralist areas
¢ Develop linkages with NGOs for improved extension services
¢ Linkage of strategic fodder production to emergency/contingency
plans in the ASALs as a contingency measure to support livestock
production
¢ Introduction and testing of more fodder crops that are suitable for
the climate and soils found in the county
¢ Promote rangeland reseeding and forage conservation to
complement riverine fodder production.

7. CHALLENGES/CONSTRAINTS STILL FACING
FARMERS IN REGARD TO FODDER PRACTICE
¢ Inter-clan conflicts hindering access to the farms and leads to loss of
equipment
¢ Difficulty in maintaining soil fertility as a result of floods washing
away the top fertile soil
¢ Inadequate access to inputs, quality fodder seeds and credit facilities
¢ Inadequate fodder storage facilities compromising quality of the
preserved hay
¢ Lack of a reliable , stable and regulated fodder market ; Lack of
regular income from hay sales strains meeting input costs
¢ Predators i.e. birds destroying seeds; wild pigs, monkeys
¢ Seasonality of river Daua: water resource challenges, hamper
farming activities between January - March
¢ Constructed canal structures challenges: blockage of water canals
¢ Salinity of the soil in some areas

8. APPRECIATION
¢ Technical Centre for Agricultural and
Rural Cooperation (CTA)
¢ Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries
Development in Kenya
¢ Arid Lands Resource Management Programme
(ALRMP)
¢ NGOs and other organizations (VSF Suisse,
COOPI, Mandera Polytechnic, Islamic Relief
Foundation and Rural Agency for Community
Development and Assistance (RACIDA))
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