Manure Management to Sustain Smallholder Livelihoods
in the Kenya highlands
Background
Manure management
High potential arable land in East and Central Africa provides sustenance to millions of households, many cultivating farms of less than 1 hectare. With population densities of 1000 persons per square kilometer or more in some areas, demand for food is high and the land is intensively cultivated. Soil fertility is declining in a number of areas, presenting a serious threat to livelihoods and food security. The high cost of artificial fertilisers means that few farmers can afford them. Also, there is a widespread preference among farmers for organic fertilisers and overwhelming evidence that organic inputs are essential to maintain soil health and crop production.
A limited amount of manure from distant grazing lands is bought in by farmers, but this is as expensive as artificial fertilisers. One solution has been for farms to integrate crop production with livestock. Keeping dairy cattle is one such approach, especially close to urban settlements, where there is a ready market for milk. The livestock not only accelerate nutrient turnover on the farm, consuming crop residues and home-grown fodder, but are also an economic way of importing nutrients to the farm. Fodder is cut from outside the farm and many farmers purchase cereal milling by-products as supplementary feed.
Research activities
A preliminary survey of manure management practices and manure quality was carried out in Kiambu and Murang'a Districts. In order to obtain further information on manure management and quality from a larger sample of farms, a further survey of 300 farmers was conducted in Kariti Location, Kandara Division, Maragua District. Results from this survey informed the subsequent research on the modification of the traditional livestock housing to the zero-grazing system which should have beneficial effects on some aspects of manure quality.
Findings
This project reinforces the view that the best option for sustaining farm livelihoods in these circumstances is the close integration of livestock with crops. This enables farm enterprises to diversify, crop production to be increased increased, soil fertility to be maintained. It also avoids the environmental pollution that occurs when intensive livestock production becomes separated from crop production.
This project has shown that there is room for dramatic improvement in the quantity and quality of nutrients available in manure and that these improvements can often be made with simple low cost or no cost interventions. The gains in manure quality translate into important additional food and income. Furthermore, in contrast to many agricultural developments, in this case it is the poorer farmers with small farms who stand to gain most by the optimum management of livestock and manure.
Publications from this research are available free of charge.
Output
Lekasi J.K., Tanner J.C., Kimani S.K. and Harris P.J.C. 2001. Managing Manure to Sustain Smallholder Livelihoods in the East African Highlands. Garden Organic (formerly HDRA), Coventry, UK. 32pp.
ISBN 0 905343 33 6
Lekasi J.K., Tanner J.C., Kimani S.K. and Harris P.J.C. 1998. Manure Management in the Kenya Highlands: Practices and Potential (2nd edition). Garden Organic (formerly HDRA), Coventry, UK. 35p.
ISBN 0 905343 25 5Available for download here (PDF 701Kb)
- Tanner J.C., Lekasi J.K., Kimani S.K. and Harris P.J.C. 1999. Better Manure, Better Crops. KARI and ILRI, Kenya and Garden Organic (formerly HDRA), UK. 12p. Extension booklet.
Staff
Phil Harris
Collaborators
- International Livestock Research Institute, Kenya (lead institute)
- Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Kenya
Contact
Julia Wright, International Research Coordinator, jwright@gardenorganic.org.uk
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