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Allan Iga and Dr Jolly Kabirizi, who are farmers and consultants on pastures, trained participants on opportunities in pasture production during the 2024 Harvest Money Expo.
They noted that growing pastures and other livestock feeds is big business today.
Iga says pasture seed prices are favourable, so farmers and youth can engage in pasture seed production and fully participate in the value chain.
Forage production has been found to have high profit margins because of a lower production cost compared to other field crops.
Below is what one needs to produce hay;
- Fixed costs: tools and equipment, rent and depreciation
- Enterprise size land area (acres)
- Land preparation labour
- Cost of planting materials (bags of seeds or cuttings/ splits/acre)
- Manure: truck loads per annum (shillings/acre)
- Seasonal manure application labour (man-hour)
- Planting and manure application labour (man-hour)
- Weed control labour (man-hour)
- Harvesting, drying and compaction labour (man-hour)
- Transportation costs (Ugshs/trip/tonnes)
- Quantity of bales of hay per acre in season one (tonnes)
- Quantity of bales of hay per land area in season two (tonnes)
- Average weight per bale (kg)
- Annual production (tons) n Price (cost/bale shillings)
- Gross field benefits (shillings)
- Variable input and establishment costs (shillings/acre) bush clearing (shillings/acre)
- Storage costs (shillings/annum) Land preparation involves clearing the land of vegetation and stones. Tractors are used for ploughing and planting.
Herbicides and fertilisers are applied on many farms to boost yields. Hay is harvested and baled two-three times a year, depending on forage species, climate and management.
