Western Kenya dairy farmers struggle to find good artificial insemination services for their cattle. Suzan Ouma runs a dairy farm in Busia County and faces many problems with private service providers. These providers sometimes use bad semen or samples that have expired. The farmers pay high prices but still receive poor quality services. Ouma wants the government to build AI centers that farmers can trust.
Peter Bwire keeps 17 dairy cows and sees the same challenges on his farm. His six best cows make between 10 and 20 liters of milk each day. He often cannot find inseminators when his cows need breeding services. Ticks and tsetse flies also kill many animals in the area. Local leaders ask the county government to spray forests to control these pests.
Ouma operates Moo and More Dairy Farm with 30 animals total. Her 20 milking cows produce 400 liters of milk each day. The farm makes yogurt and sour milk from half the daily production. Cow manure powers a biogas system that cuts electricity costs. The farm serves as a training site for other local farmers.
Experts teach farmers how to preserve animal feed better. Many farmers only give their cows leftover crops after harvest. Paul Mambo shows farmers how to make silage from quality plants. Feed costs make up 70 percent of dairy farming expenses. Better government support for hybrid crops would help farmers create nutritious silage.
Peter Bwire keeps 17 dairy cows and sees the same challenges on his farm. His six best cows make between 10 and 20 liters of milk each day. He often cannot find inseminators when his cows need breeding services. Ticks and tsetse flies also kill many animals in the area. Local leaders ask the county government to spray forests to control these pests.
Ouma operates Moo and More Dairy Farm with 30 animals total. Her 20 milking cows produce 400 liters of milk each day. The farm makes yogurt and sour milk from half the daily production. Cow manure powers a biogas system that cuts electricity costs. The farm serves as a training site for other local farmers.
Experts teach farmers how to preserve animal feed better. Many farmers only give their cows leftover crops after harvest. Paul Mambo shows farmers how to make silage from quality plants. Feed costs make up 70 percent of dairy farming expenses. Better government support for hybrid crops would help farmers create nutritious silage.
