Samburu pastoralists turn to 'cattle cake' as drought bites

Severe drought in Samburu county has forced pastoralists to embrace a cattle feed supplement dubbed "cattle cake" to boost milk production and meet nutritional needs of the animals.

To ensure the supply of the cattle cake, approximately 30 women within the community have been trained how to manufacture the product, which is designed to be fed to animals daily.

Northern Rangeland Trust (NRT) Regional Director Burton Lenanyokie said they have partnered with USAID to develop modern technology for producing nutrient-rich cattle cake.

“The cake is intended to be given to the animals every day after foraging and watering, which improves the digestibility for ruminants. All that the pastoralists need to do is offer a block for the animals to lick,” Lenanyokie said.

He was optimistic that the programme will make the pastoral community more climate-resilient and prevent livestock losses during the drought.

Stephen Saiboku, a project officer at the NRT Development Mashinani initiative, explained that the manufacturing process begins with cutting green grass. “We then mix it with a special powder and molasses to create a product that is nutritious for the animals,” he said.

“In addition to boosting growth and milk output, the cake also normalizes the heat cycle in female animals, increases libido in bulls, and enhances their resistance to certain diseases,” Saiboku added.

He said that the cake is particularly beneficial during drought, when plants are either overgrown or too young, and when there is a lack of variety of forages, as well as other challenges that pastoralists face, such as low knowledge among caretakers and poor soil conditions.

Grace Meteki, a resident of Naibongoloa village, decided to take the initiative to produce the cake for pastoralists to earn a living.

“For me, it is an income-generating initiative in addition to caring for my cattle. I will use the income to pay for my children’s school fees and meet other basic needs,” she said.

Meteki said that the cake is nutritious and her goats have gained weight while the cows produce more milk.