The demand for meat and milk is increasing in Eastern Africa. However, the most widely used forage grass (Napier grass) is susceptible to various plant diseases which limits the production of sufficient amounts of animal feed.
The project, funded by the GIZ’s Fund for International Agricultural Research (FIA) and implemented by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), aims to provide farmers with improved forages grasses. Farmers were provided with the improved forage grass varieties Panicum ssp and Brachiaria ssp and were trained in growing and using them. These measures intend to increase milk production and thereby the farmers’ income and food security. The Impact Assessment examined two areas:
1. The adoption of the new varieties of forage grass: What were the barriers or incentives for adopting the improved forage grasses?
2. The impact of the adoption: Did the adoption of the improved forage grasses lead to an increase in dairy milk production and an increase in income and food security? Did the adoption lead to any unintended negative or positive results?
Madiba Consult was responsible for developing the plan and study design for the Impact Assessment as well as its implementation. Generally, the aim is to compare data from a baseline and an endline study. To do so, we are collecting data from around 1000 household surveys, 30 Key Informant Interviews and 15 Focus Group Discussions as well as observation/transect walks. Based on the analysis of the data collected, we will publish a research article.