RADA Providing Targeted Support to Livestock Farmers

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is providing targeted support to livestock farmers to help them manage the effects of high heat and humidity on their animals and prepare ahead of dry periods.

Livestock Specialist at RADA, Maxine Brown, told a recent JIS Think Tank that technical assistance is being delivered through the production incentive programmes of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining.

“We’re always aware of the climatic changes that are taking place, and so we try to assist persons where possible with shaft machines [to] feed and not have it wasted,” she said.

“We [also] assist with silage training [where] we teach persons how to make silage because it’s a form of storing your forage, so that in times when it is dry like now… you will have it available. In the dry time, it is not the time you can start doing things to mitigate the issues that you’re facing. You have to do that ahead of time,” she added.

Ms. Brown said RADA also assists farmers with effective waterers for livestock to reduce waste and prevent supply contamination.

“Sometimes, the animals don’t want to drink it, so it’s like you’re wasting water [so] we give water bowls, which is easier for animals to get just enough that they need but not contaminate a large volume of water,” she explained.

She said that record keeping is important, better enabling farmers to decide which animals to retain or remove from their herds.

“Because when you have your records and you say to farmers at this time, get rid of probably weaker [and] non-productive animals, how are they going to make that decision if they weren’t keeping records on the animals that they have?” she asked.

“This is what you use to make your management decisions, to make you productive,” she pointed out.