In Mandera County, Prosopis Juliflora plant also known as Aligrope has an aggressive nature and it’s detrimental to animals health also spreads easily and fast. It’s an invasive weed in this area, occupying large tracks of communal grazing land displacing indigenous trees and pastures leading to deterioration of grazing lands and negatively affected the pastoral production system. Through BORESHA project, CARE is working with farmers in Mandera seeking to address this hoping to turn the pain to gain.
While traversing through Border Point 1 zone in Mandera town, from a distance the prosopis trees looks very attractive but looks can be deceiving. This plant has created havoc across the county especially to farmers. It grows along irrigation canals affecting the flow of water. From farms, roadsides to homesteads it continues to colonize the landscapes.
Training farmers on how to value to Prosopis weed
The prosopis pods are rich in nutrients (digestible crude protein) and can be used to feed animals. Farmers are taught how to make animal feeds from the pods. The process involves mixing the pods with other farm residues like sorghum and maize which are readily available in this area to enrich quality feeds available to the livestock.
Mandera County Director of Livestock production, Hussein Madey believes that the expert trainings will help farmers with practical knowledge how to convert prosopis seeds to cakes, livestock feeds and value adding hay. Hussein has been able to train the sub-county officers involved in BORESHA project. “Prosopis juliflora is problem along the river from Border Point one to Malkamare and some parts of Mandera west. If this value addition process is adopted and streamlined by the County, it can create employment for the youth through charcoal burning.
Berir farmers field group
Berir farmer’s field group located in Border Point 1 village is among farmer groups in Mandera that CARE is training on how to utilize the plant and benefits to locals.
Berir farmers group has 41 members (31 men and 10 women). Members are predominantly pastoralists and also practice subsistence farming along river Dawa
Through use of simple technologies, CARE has trained pastoralists and agro-pastoralists households on better use of the plant. By use of the skills gained they are making charcoal briquettes and livestock feed from the different parts of the prosopis plants. This has provided employment opportunities, extra income, renewable source of energy and readily available quality livestock feeds enabling them to get better products from their livestock
Hassan Sheik Mohammed is the chairman of Berir farmer’s field group. Hassan said that the different processing machines CARE brought them has changed their perception towards the prosopis weed. “Through BORESHA project CARE brought us two machines one for grinding prosopis seeds and wild grass. The other one helps in producing the fuel briquettes. Before our cows and goats couldn’t feed well on dry grass and maize cobs but now these machines have changed our experience,” Hassan said.
After the 3 days training, Berir farmers group members are able to grind the prosopis seeds mixed with grass or any other crops to produce better feeds for their cattle. Further in the value chain, Prosopis pods are cut and burnt to charcoal then processed to charcoal briquette which is durable. Abdi Hussein is CARE Kenya staff managing BORESHA activities in Mandera. “Take grinded prosopis then mixed with grass to feed livestock or used to improve nutritive value of the livestock feeds. This can also be packaged and sold to supermarket or sold to farmers during dry season,” Abdi added.
Fatuma Ibrahim Hassan, a member of the group believed that the life skills they have on briquette production was a process that is ‘God sent’ – “We grind the seeds and during drought it can help us. Initially we thought it was useless but I have learnt its benefits. We need many of these machines in Mandera and all its locations so that all farmers can benefit,” she said. I took 10 pieces during training and used at home. I cooked vegetables, rice and tea and the heat lasted till evening. This was like a miracle to me,” she smiled. Fatuma sees this as an advantage to environment conservation. During drought she can sell prosopis feeds and the briquettes for more income.
Oscar Oketch, a consultant from Nairobi University trained Berir farmer group on the use of Prosopis. “The species despite having negative perceptions by the community has a lot of benefits that we have known and we are trying to show them the benefits they can get from the tree. We are looking at ways the community can benefit through feed conservation for dryer seasons as well as for supplementing their lactating animals to improve their own household food security. The tree can also be used to make charcoal briquettes which is more durable, environmental friendly and cheap source of energy,” Oketch said.
Once the BORESHA project is fully implemented in Mandera County conservationists believe it will save the acacia tree which is widely used in charcoal making.
Facts
- BORESHA is working with 9 groups to benefit from the value addition machines. Estimated 18 machines will be distributed.
- Facts about the 2 value addition machines, the industrial names and cost Multipurpose silage/feed chopper/miller, Driven by a 7.5 H.p Honda petrol or Diesel engine. with three sieves of different sizes (For grass cutting, grinding crop residues and fine flour sieve- photos on right). Estimated Price, 45,000 Ksh Petrol
- Petrol or Diesel engine chopper (Petro or Diesel) depending on user preference) used for grinding and chopping animal feeds. Estimated Price, 60,000 Ksh Diesel.
- Prosopis juliflora was declared a noxious weed in Kenya in 2008 under the Suppression of Noxious Weeds Act (CAP 325). Under this act the Minister of Agriculture, can compel land owners who have such declared noxious weeds growing on their land to remove or have it otherwise removed.