The must-haves of commercial pasture growing

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As the Harvest Money Expo at Namboole Stadium Expo wound down on Sunday, February 16, expo-goers left the event with enriched knowledge, ready to give farming another go with expert advice. At only sh10,000 workshops at the event have a lot of invaluable lessons, tips, and discussions, which visitors are glad to receive.

Allan Iga, an expert in pasture production and its value addition chain, told the audience what they need to have if they are to embark on commercial pasture production.

He listed them as:

• Land preparation: The land needs to be well cultivated.
• Pasture selection: Not all pastures can grow on your land. Some pastures are good for lowlands, and some are good for highlands.
• Planting: Many make mistakes by planting expensive pasture the wrong way and waste money. For example, Iga said, “Alfalfa costs about sh150,000 per kilo, and if planted the wrong way, you lose money. Alfalfa has tiny seeds that need to be planted in shallow holes. Sometimes, those seeds should not be buried in the soil; they do not require covering,” said Iga about the mistakes pasture growers make.

He also noted that farmers do not tend to their pasture because they say “it is pasture for cattle”. However, he said pasture should also be tended to like any other crop. Iga said when planting, they ought to do it in rows because it makes weed control easy. “You remove the weeds easily by digging with a hoe,” he said. “When pasture is young, weed control is important, but when it grows, it can’t allow weeds to grow,” he added.

Bridget of Fodder Feeds showcasing some of the pastures. (File/Willy Semanda/New Vision)

Iga dissuaded farmers from using pesticides because they have a residual effect on the pasture. Rather than pesticides, he advised them to tend to their pasture gardens so as to control weed growth. He also urged them to use social media to market their pasture. “Market pasture using social media like TikTok and WhatsApp because there are big farmers on those platforms who can provide the market,” said Iga. The three-day event has been sponsored by aBi, Uganda Development Corporation, Tunga Nutrition, Pepsi, Bella Wine, Engsol, and the Kingdom of Netherlands.