Farmer Field School Approach adapted for improved feed availability for beef cattle production in the cattle corridor in Uganda: A case study

Dissemination of knowledge and skills to farmers with high adoption rates has been attained in instances where Farmer Field School (FFS) have been adopted as part of the process. They were started by FAO staff in Indonesia in 1989 with the aim of promoting integrated pest management (IPM) and have since been replicated for different types of agricultural interventions across the world. Scientists at the National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI) and their partners implementing interventions in the beef value chain in Uganda decided to adopt a FFS approach. The main objective was to improve feed resources for beef cattle in the country. This targeted cattle keepers in the cattle corridor districts where dry seasons are often severe causing extreme scarcity of pastures and water for livestock. The FFS approach used adopted a two-step process with the first step focused on learning at the demonstration sites and the second step focused on seed acquisition and adoption by the FFS members of the practices learnt and follow up by the FFS facilitators. Overall, 27 FFS were established across nine districts each with a demonstration site. Each FFS effectively participated in a pasture establishment and management cycle, pasture seed production and mechanised hay baling. Members of the FFS received pasture seed and established pastures on their own farms. Members of the FFS are now looking forward to sustaining these gains by developing cost-effective strategies for accessing hay baling machinery. Keywords: Beef value chain, Cattle corridor, Farmer Field School, Uganda