Small-scale silage-making technology for the extreme poor on floodplains

Abstract

Despite owning only a couple of cattle, the landless, extreme poor can neither spare land for animal forage production nor can they afford to buy concentrate feed for their animals. In the flood-prone areas of Bangladesh, the most severe feed shortage occurs during July−October, when the low-lying pasturelands are flooded. Production, processing and preservation (silage-making) of high-yielding fodder, like Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum), can overcome such feed shortage. Existing silage-making techniques (e.g. pit silo) are not suitable for flood-prone areas. An innovative, low-cost silage-making technology has been developed and tested in 10 flood-prone villages of Sirajganj in 2012. This portable bamboo silo (PBS) has been developed from an earlier low-cost, fixed model of Bangladesh Agricultural University. The PBS responds to the vulnerability of the extreme poor living in flood-prone areas, and their housing condition, livestock-farming capacity and ability to invest. The PBS can preserve 0.5 tonne of Napier silage, which can replace 50% need of roughage feed-rice straw of one or two local-bred cattle during 3−4 rainy months. With such feed replacement, average monthly milk production in the local cow variety increased by 12.36% (p < 0.01). Average net monthly income of the extreme poor families from selling milk also increased by 56.31% (p < 0.001) due to increased milk production and reduced feed cost. The paper also discusses general issues related to innovation for the extreme poor.