Parallel B: Feeds and Forage, with a Focus on the Forage Seed Value Chain

Animal Source Foods such as milk, meat and eggs are essential for human nutrition. Demand is increasing and this offers multiple opportunities for livestock producers. However, sustainable productivity and efficiency gains are needed, addressing both seasonal and inter-annual variation. Feed is a key limiting factor and often the most expensive input into livestock production. The Feeds and Forages work, organized through a flagship program, aims to respond to these bottlenecks by a) identifying and refining priorities through on-farm, large scale and global assessments; b) developing novel feed and forage options; c) better utilizes these feed options and d) identifying and testing approaches to scale these technologies through e.g. innovative business models, extension approaches and capacity building. The work in this paper would focus on novel forages, with emphasis on Eastern and Southern Africa. The aim is to identify specific needs and niches for forages and respond to this demand by developing novel forages either through selection or breeding. Advances include the availability of novel forage options either through selection e.g. of Napier grass (Cenchrus purpureus) or breeding of Brachiaria hybrids (Urochloa ruziziensis x U. brizantha x U. decumbens). The approach for scaling of these novel options through linkages with the public and private sector is being described.  

Tropical and sub-tropical forages (TSTF) are critically important for supplying livestock feed and environmental benefits in extensive and intensive livestock systems of developed and developing countries. There has been focused collection and conservation of forage genetic resources (FGR), and research on their diversity, adaptation and use for the past 60 years. This laid the foundations for the impacts TSTF have had, and continue to have. However, since about 1995 there has been significant reduction in forage science investment, and capability globally, and that has strangely coincided with the accelerated demand for livestock products. The status of TSTF germplasm conservation, capability and capacity are now at risk, and the decline must be reversed if the tropical and subtropical farming systems are to access the best genetic material and knowledge to meet the growing food/environmental needs. A strategy to reduce barriers to TSTF conservation, research and utilisation was developed under the Global Crop Diversity Trust in 2015 with input from across the TSTF-genetic resources community. Its aim was to build a functional network of national, regional and international genetic resource centres, introduce operational efficiencies, and enable genebanks to improve their role as knowledge managers and advisors for research and development programs. The strategy’s main objectives are: 1) Rebuild the community of TSTF genebanks and genebank users to develop closer collaboration and trust; 2) Ensure more efficient and rationalized conservation within and among genebanks; and 3)Actively support utilisation by anticipating germplasm needs and responding to users’ requests for information and seeds. Implementation of the strategy commenced in 2016, with the first aim being to win buy-in and cooperation of international and national genebanks. A new Newsletter, ‘Forages for the Future’, has >600 recipients and reports key implementation activities and the roles of forages across the tropics and subtropics. Making recent impacts more widely known indirectly helps build the body of evidence that improved forages deliver impacts and is the basis for growth in financial and human resources invested in TSTF. The CGIAR genebanks of ILRI and CIAT play key roles in TSTF research and use. In recognition of the need for greater efficiencies and better utilisation of the germplasm, ILRI and CIAT have undertaken an ambitious program to align collections to provide a one stop portal, with prioritised species/accessions for conservation and research, and a simplified germplasm request process. This change is occurring simultaneously with a TSTF strategy initiative encouraging some key national TSTF centres to work more closely together and with the CGIAR centres and with the update of the widely used TSTF database and selection tool, SoFT, with new content and ability to be used on smart phones. That new version will be released in 2019. Reversing the past downward trend requires the commitment and long-term engagement of partner countries and the donor community. The alternative is that 60 years of knowledge and expertise will have to be rebuilt, and generations of farmers and other users will not realize the production and environmental benefits that well-adapted and sustainably managed improved forages can attain.

Despite the profound livestock importance in eastern Africa, livestock productivity remains low attributable to a number of challenges. One of the major drawbacks is lack of quality feeds and forages. This results in poor animal performance and suboptimal use of resources. Intertwined with this lack of quality forages is the dearth of forage planting materials - including seed and vegetative propagation – to offer producers improved forages adapted to different ecologies and agricultural context. To alter the landscape, developed forage technologies coupled with awareness creation is needed along the forage value chain to support commercially functioning forage seed systems. With the projected doubling of demand for animal products (meat and milk) in sub-Saharan Africa, the pressure will be exerted on livestock feed resources. This is likely to result in a knock-on demand for forage cultivation hence forage seed demand. To be successful, the forage seed systems need to be supported by an enabling policy across the region, which include: functional procedures for certification and quality control, public-private partnerships for the production and dissemination of planting materials, and technical advice in the management of forages. Availability of proven forage technologies, coupled with awareness creation and facilitative movement of forage seeds across countries would boost forage seed system development in eastern Africa, for increased livestock productivity.
 

Increase in livestock numbers in rural areas is leading to a growing demand for feed. Due to the high livestock numbers, available space for grazing decreasing, and this has led to overstocking and overgrazing of natural pastures. In 2010, a survey was carried out in Taleni and Shweni villages in the Ntsika Yethu Local Municipality, where semi-structured questionnaires were used to investigate farmers’ perceptions and attitudes on the establishment of leguminous cultivated pastures. The following year, a demonstration was also conducted to verify affordability and the land area that is required during winter for a small-scale farming system. The objectives of both the survey and demonstration was to address the feed shortage during prolonged dry seasons. The survey and demonstration were also used as a means to measure cost of forage crop establishment versus buying feed or any supplementary feeding available. There were 80% and 20% males and females represented respectively of the total of 36 respondents interviewed in the two villages. All the respondents mentioned that the lack of proper fencing, which impacts on the implementation of veld management practices, was a major constraint for ensuring that there is enough feed. The majority of participants (60%) perceived that seed is expensive and 40% reported that establishment of pasture is for commercial farmers. The input costs were calculated on the basis of 25m2 and extrapolated to a 900 m2, the average size of a garden in these villages. The cost for inputs, including labour was R738, for the use of three cows or eight ewes or does for 30 minutes for the duration of four days per week, and thus far less than losing one animal. The reason for the perceptions among farmers that forage crops establishment is only for commercial farmers was mainly driven by the cost involved. Respondents were of the view that it is more expensive to plant a small area by hand and use kraal manure or fertiliser instead of having to transport and buy bales and industrial processed feed. The implementation of this study resulted in a change of these misconceptions of farmers in these two villages. 

The translation of forage research results into usable technologies and the adoption of the same by livestock farmers is the only way to ensure returns to investment in forage research. A lot of work has been conducted on the feeding value of different forage legumes in livestock production, but this has not been matched by changed feeding practices on the ground. The objective of the study was to investigate the adoption level of improved forage legume technology by communal farmers trained and exposed to forage legume production. The study also intended to identify the socio-economic and bio-physical factors which led to adoption intensity and willingness to continue practice, the major constraints affecting uptake of the improved technologies and farmer’s perception of forage legumes on livestock productivity. The study was conducted in Goromonzi and Murewha districts. Two and three wards were randomly selected in Goromonzi and Murewha respectively. In each of the selected wards, 20 farmers were chosen by random sampling to participate in the study. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data on socio-demographics aspects, asset endowment, income sources, land holdings/ tenure, farm size, livestock ownership and forage legume production by smallholder farmers. The data was analysed using a logistic regression model to determine the likelihood factors influencing the decision to adoption and willingness to continue growing improved forage legumes. A chi-square test was used to test for association between various farmer attributes and forage legume adoption. The study also employed descriptive statistics. The results indicate that the mean area under forage legume production has increased over the years, 2011 to 2017. There has been a cumulative rise in forage legume production since 2011 with 85 % of respondents still growing forage legumes from the inception of the project trainings and 88 % of farmers plan to continue growing legumes. Forage legume production ranked third in terms of area under crop cultivation (p< 0.05) after maize and groundnuts. Herd size and socio demographic factors did not influence the decision to continue growing legumes, except the size of household (p< 0.05).The major constraint to adoption was seed availability and affordability. It was concluded that adoption of forage legumes is labour intensive. Households with a lot of active members were more likely to continue growing and feeding forage legumes.

In smallholder systems, farmers are increasingly becoming aware of the need to improve livestock productivity through production of quality fodder. This is in response to scarcity of feed, particularly in the dry season, associated with seasonal variations, land degradation and the need to meet an increase in demand for livestock products. An understanding of processes and actors involved along the forage seed value chain is important for developing strategies that enhance adoption and sustainability especially in smallholder systems. The study was conducted to evaluate the performance of forage seed sector value chain in Zimbabwe, focusing on germplasm availability, seed production and marketing. Actors involved and their roles were assessed, and strategies developed on how to enhance effectiveness of the value chain. The study employed household survey, focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KII) to collect data. The survey employed a questionnaire with structured and semi-structured questions. This was administered to a total of 414 randomly selected households from 10 purposively selected wards. Four FGDs (two in each district), each with an average of 14 participants were conducted using a FGD Guide with a checklist to collect data. KIIs, in-depth interviews, were conducted by employing the KII guide to gather qualitative data from people who are well versed with the seed industry, like seed companies, input suppliers and seed services regulators. Quantitative data from household survey was subjected to SPSS version 21 software generate descriptive statistics. Qualitative data from FGDs and KIIs was synthesised to crosscheck and validate responses from the household survey. A SWOT analysis was also conducted to establish strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to forage seed value chain in the study area. Results indicate that farmers use cropping lands to produce forage seed. Forage seed production is not a common practice as arable lands are put to food crops. Seed is disseminated through sharing with other farmers, paying for farm services, exchanging for other seed types and selling to individuals and companies. Actors along the value chain include farmers (other seed producers, fodder producers and seed companies), seed companies who act as traders and retailers, research and extension institutions, and NGOs. Some linkages along the value chain are weak or non-existent, such as among forage seed breeders, farmers and NGOs. This is because forage seed production is not considered a priority activity compared to food crop production. This is also compounded by the fact that forage seed markets are not well developed, with transactions occurring informally. Challenges encountered in forage seed production include unavailability of seed, under developed market infrastructure, limited knowledge on production, marketing of seed and low prices. There is need to create awareness amongst farmers on production of forages and benefits to be realised from such activities. As farmers gain knowledge and acquire more assets, they would adopt forage seed technologies, resulting in improved livestock production and improved farmer participation in markets.