Multispecies fodder bank as climate-smart option for an improved livestock nutrition in Northern Ghana
Project Description
This project is implemented with the ambition to improve fodder availability and nutritional quality for ruminants during dry periods in the Ghana Climate-Smart Villages.
The development of a multispecies fodder bank that concentrates the species with forbs, grasses and fast growing fodder legumes has been identified as an opportunity for ensuring sustainable all-year-round fodder production and availability. The fodder banks has been diagnosed as an innovative approach to improving livestock nutrition during dry seasons and fodder scarcity period.
Activities
- Establish a multi-species fodder bank with farmers to demonstrate efficacy for climate-smart livestock production
- Assess seasonal fodder productivity to accentuate implications on livestock feeding
- Assess soil carbon storage as influenced by the fodder bank
- Evaluate the economics of establishing a multispecies fodder bank
Expected output/outcome
- Multispecies fodder bank adopted by pastoralists as a viable option for improved livestock nutrition
- Capacity of farmers built in the establishment and management of fodder banks
- Seasonal fodder biomass productivity at CSV known for decision making on best-bet feed improvement options
- Economic importance of fodder bank determined to inform local investment needs
Partners
The project is led by CCAFS in collaboration with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Animal Research Institute (CSIR-ARI)
Further information
For further information, please contact: Robert B. Zougmoré (r.zougmore@cgiar.org) and Franklin Avornyo (favornyo@yahoo.com)