Borge, Integrated farming system for dairy farmers …...Integrated farming system for dairy farmers in Njombe Something exciting is happening in Njombe. Sokoine University of Agriculture

Integrated farming system for dairy farmers in Njombe

Something exciting is happening in Njombe. Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) is working with the dairy farmers, looking at all the elements of farming to see how it all works together. When Sokoine University of Agriculture and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) started up the research programme Programme for Agricultural and Natural Resources Transformation for Improved Livelihoods in Tanzania (PANTIL, 2006-2009) and its successor Enhancing Pro- poor Innovations in Natural Resources and Agricultural Value-chains (EPINAV, 2011-2015), it was with the knowledge that a production system cannot be changed by looking at single elements. An integrated approach is required, says former project leader Professor Urio, at the SUA Department of Animal Science Production. This is the story of how all the pieces of the puzzle can fit together and have an effect on the productivity of the dairy farming system in Njombe. This is a presentation of the dairy cow project in Njombe, and how the approach has resulted in best practices now being scaled up from four to ten villages in the district.

Under PANTIL farmers learned how to preserve fodder for the dry season by drying it.

Improved fodder and keeping of fodder for the dry season have improved the milk yield from on average 6 to 16 litres a day. Dairy cows in three of the four villages have drastically improved milk yield during the dry season. However, with the increased milk production, the incidence of mastitis increases. Hence the udder and environmental hygiene become very important.

A well-kept and clean udder reduces the chance of the cow getting infected with mastitis.

Mastitis occurs when the cows are milked under unhygienic conditions, allowing the bacteria to go into the teat canal. Hence, in addition to good hygiene when milking, it is also important to remove all faeces from the enclosure where the animal is kept. Here the utilization of manure comes into the picture. The manure is used in three ways. First, the urine is removed through a drain and stored. Because most of the soil in Njombe is acidic, the urine works as a buffer that elevates pH levels. The dung is either used for biogass production or turned into dry manure. The use of urine and dry manure has resulted in a great increase in crop yields per acre. Dung can also be turned into biogas, which is a renewable energy source used for lighting and cooking. Experiences from the project show that using biogas reduces the time spent by women and children in fetching firewood. It also improves the health of the family, as there is no smoke from the cooking. According to Professor Mdegela, the current project leader, it even unites the families, through more cooperation. Furthermore it helps to improve performance of school children.

A bi-product of biogas is slurry, which is a very good fertilizer. The project has under EPINAV entered into a collaboration agreement with the Tanzania Domestic Biogas Programme (TDBP) to carry out studies on the use of bio-slurry and to extend the biogas technology to all the 6 new villages. Earlier, farmers would have their vegetable gardens in the wetlands (vinyungu). This was an environmentally harmful practice and also time intensive, as it was some distance away from the home. The project has now introduced tower gardens. The tower gardens are close to the home, and increase both a family’s nutrition and income from the sale of vegetables. Water already used in the household, slurry and dry manure is added. The re-use of these inputs means that resources are fully utilized.

Tower gardens increase the nutrition and income of the households.

According to Professor Mtengeti, the co- project leader, some farmers have even started nurseries for multi-purpose and timber trees. Including trees in the farming system is encouraged by the project, as it provides quality fodder and improves crop production. In addition it holds water and works as windbreakers. The trees have a climate change mitigating effect.

As a result of the increased milk production, the CEFA Milk Processing Factory was established. Here the farmers can together deliver up to 3000 litres of milk per day during dry season, and more than 6000 litres during rainy season. The project is now working to increase the production ceiling. During the rainy season the farmers produce more milk than the factory can process. To mitigate this challenge, the project is also giving training to farmers on how to simply process milk products themselves, such as cottage cheese and fermented milk. A new component under EPINAV is the milk value chain. Efforts are underway to establish a value chain among actors of the dairy industry in Njombe in order to understand and enhance increased benefits among the actors. Through the value chain approach researchers intend to understand the major constraints to improve performance and competitiveness of the dairy industry in Njombe district. A major strategic approach is to understand the market opportunity and the constraints to those opportunities.

A farmer is delivering milk to the collection centre.

One great challenge for the dairy farmers is the low price they get for each litre of milk. As a result, the farmers in Njombe mainly keep the cows for manure, says Professor Mdegela. He says SUA will be engaging more with policy makers to try to improve the situation for the farmers.

As the farming system improves, new challenges arise. However, to deal with these challenges and find innovative solutions, it is important that the system is seen as a whole. With the increased produce from the farm, it is now important to improve the value-chain, market access and market prices. It is encouraging to see how this has been included under this EPINAV project, and it will be exciting to follow as new best practices are made. Project title: Up-scaling and Out-scaling Technologies for Enhancing Integrated Dairy Production System in Njombe District For more information go to http://www.suanet.ac.tz/epinav/ Written by: Elli Borge. SUA Research Associate December 2012