Farmers in Trans Nzoia have been asked to turn to beef farming as a way of diversifying their agriculture.
Speaking to KNA at the Nai ADC Farm in Endebbes Sub County on Wednesday, the Nai Farm ADC Sub Branch Manager, Dominic Maingi told KNA that beef farming could be an alternative to agriculture activities that has been experiencing fluctuating prices.
According to Maingi, Boran types of animals are good for beef farming and are resistance to diseases.
“There are two main types of beef production enterprises to engage in. First is the production of weaner calves for sale and second, fattening young stock for slaughter and farmers can choose their preference,” he said.
He said the choice basically depends on the resources a farmer has which will include land size and amount of financial capability and the available market of the products.
The ADC Nai keeps Borana cattle and sheep. Maingi said that many farmers mostly from outside Trans Nzoia have been purchasing the animals to keep as alternative to dairy farming.
He said farmers can buy bulls at the farm to breed with their traditional animals for better quality meat or they can get heifers from the farm to get pure breeds which grows faster and earns farmers better yields. “A beef farmer can choose to keep either improved local cattle breed or purebred beef cattle of exotic lineage,” he said.
Maingi advised farmers to form groups and invest in capacity building to learn better management practices.
He however, advised farmers to start with local beef animals which he said take less capital, are readily available and farmers can learn to improve in the farming as they go along.
“As you breed upwards, you gain knowledge and experience on beef farming that will help you to handle your higher potential stock at a time when they require intense management skills,” he advised.
By Pauline Ikanda
