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Download Germplasm supply systems: Background information on field visit
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Germplasm supply systems: Background information on field visit Charles Wambugu Introduction The visit will be conducted in two villages of Kandara Division of Maragua District in central Kenya. Participants will be divided into 2 groups. Group 1: Visit Kahaini village and will be hosted by members of Kahaiini Dairy Goat Group Group 2: Visit Kagunduini village and will be hosted by members of Kagunduini Dairy Goat Group Description of the area Rainfall: Bimodal (1200 -1500 mm/ year) Soils: Humic Nitisols (FAO classification) Population: Over 700 person/km² Average farm size: less than 1 Ha Land tenure: Individual ownership Farming systems: mixed farming systems with cash and food crops, livestock and trees on same piece of land -Cash crops: mainly coffee and horticultural crops ----Food crops: maize, beans, Irish potatoes, bananas and vegetables -Livestock: dairy cattle and goats, sheep, pigs and poultry (Dairy is a major enterprise in the area) -Fruit trees: Avocado, Mangoes, Macadamia and pawpaw -Timber trees: Grevillea, cypress, Eucaryptus and pines -Poles and fuelwood trees: Eucalyptus, Grevillea, calliandra and trichandra -Hedge: Kei apple and cypress -Fodder shrubs: Calliandra, trichandra, Mulberry, Sapium and Trema Major production constraints Soil erosion Declining soil fertility due to continuous land tillage Shortage of fodder for livestock especially during the dry season Inadequate fuel-wood and other wood products Insufficient opportunities for cash generation Collective action in Dairy goats’ production and other agricultural enterprises In 1990s the farmers came together to form groups for the purpose of breeding and marketing of the dairy goats. Table banking was also introduced to cater for other needs of the members. This led to formation of Dairy goats Association of Kenya (DGAK). In early 2000 the farmers established group nurseries of fodder shrubs for the purpose of providing quality feeds to their dairy goats and cows in addition to other benefits accrued from fodder shrubs. They also ventured into production of improved fruit trees. In mid 2000 the farmers developed agroforestry-based enterprises such as bee keeping, rabbit keeping, marketing of tree planting materials, etc. This led to formation of Kenya Association of Tee Seeds and Nursery Operators (KATRESNO). Details about DGAK and KATRESNO 1. DGAK The Dairy Goat Association of Kenya (DGAK) is a farmers’ CBO that was formed with the assistance of GTZ and the Ministry of Livestock Development. The association has activities all over Kenya and to some extent in the whole of the East African region. DGAK is mainly involved in managing the breeding and marketing of improved dairy goats. The association has put in place a complex system of buck rotation between the groups as a mechanism of controlling the inbreeding of goats. It has elaborate training programmes that precede the distribution of improved goats to new areas. The training programme has a feeding component where use of fodder shrubs as goat feeds is highly recommended. The association has thus helped a lot in scaling up the adoption of fodder shrubs in the East African region and its impacts are well perceived in the region. 2. KATRESNO KATRESNO is a community-based organization formed by farmers involved in distribution and marketing of tree seed and seedlings. Members are scattered all over Kenya. They felt that there was need to form and strengthen linkages among themselves and with institutions involved in tree germplasm. In 2002/2003, ICRAF and Technoserve (an agribusiness NGO) conducted studies on fodder shrub seed supply system in central and western Kenya. The findings from this study indicated that formation of linkages among the seed dealers in the two regions would improve seed supply system in the country. Most of the seed is produced in western Kenya while the main seed demand is in the central region of Kenya where the smallholder dairy is a major enterprise. In 2006, a collaborative project between ICRAF and AED helped the farmers to form the association and linked them to major tree seed dealers such as the National Tree Seed Centre of KEFRI, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forest Department, KARI and several NGOs.
