Staff Reporter
The Second Republic has intensified efforts to produce animal feed by treating crop residues with urea fertilizer to combat the effects of the El Niño-induced drought.
This initiative aims to maintain the national herd by providing farmers with a cost-effective and nutritious alternative for feeding their livestock during ongoing dry season.
Urea is a nitrogen-rich fertilizer that, when applied to crop residues like maize stover, enhances their protein content, making them more nutritious as animal feed. The process involves applying a urea solution to the stover, which promotes the growth of microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi.
Speaking at various events organized across Gutu District this Saturday to educate people on the use of urea for animal feed production, an Agritex Extension Officer for Ward 30 in Gutu South Constituency, Vengai Taruberekera, explained the process in detail.
“Urea is applied to the stover typically in the form of a solution, the urea stimulates the growth of microorganisms like bacteria and fungi naturally on the stover. These microorganisms break down the urea and convert the nitrogen into forms that are more readily available to animals, such as ammonia and amino acids,”
"The microorganisms use the nitrogen to synthesize proteins, which are then deposited on the stover. The treated stover now contains a higher protein content, making it a nutritious feed supplement for animals," Tarubereka explained.
Taruberekera emphasized that this protein-rich feed can be used as a dietary supplement for ruminants like cattle, goats, and sheep.
"The resulting protein-rich feed can be used as a supplement in animal diets, particularly for ruminants like cattle, goats, and sheep, at a rate of 300 grams per day for cattle and 30 grams per day for sheep and goats," he added.
Another Agritex Extension Officer from Ward 29 in Gutu West Constituency Mrs. Parere, provided further details on the preparation of the treated stover. She outlined the step-by-step process for producing one tonne of feed.
"A trench of one metre deep by two metres width and four metres long is prepared to make one feed, one tonne of stover is cut into small pieces added to 50 kg of urea and 200 liters of water, along with a plastic sheet with a thickness of between 200 and 250 microns,” Mrs Parere highlighted.
She added "Stover is then placed into the pit and sprinkled with the urea solution using a sprinkler to ensure even distribution at a rate of 50 kg of stover to 10 litres of urea solution. This process is repeated until the stover, and solution are finished, making sure that at each level, the stover is compacted to remove air, which may interfere with the chemical reactions occurring during the process," she said.
Mrs Parere also warned that the process should be conducted under the supervision of an Agritex Extension Officer due to the potential hazards with handling the urea.
“Urea is poisonous if not handled properly, and feed that is not properly prepared can result in fatalities if fed to animals,” she cautioned. “The residual solution should also be disposed of properly,” she stated.
In addition to the urea treatment initiative, the Government has intensified efforts to provide clean water by drilling boreholes, a critical measure to mitigate the impact of the drought on both humans and animals.
Member of Parliament for Gutu South Constituency Honourable Pupurai Togarepi, has also been actively supporting these efforts by drilling and repairing boreholes across the constituency.
"The drilling and repairing of boreholes will curb the effects of El Niño on humans and animals by providing safe and clean water. By doing so, we are also preserving the national herd," Hon Togarepi said.
These combined efforts by the Government and local authorities are seen as crucial steps in ensuring the sustainability of livestock farming in the face of adverse climate conditions.
