
Napier grass
Over the past two decades, farming in Kenya has been plagued by various fraudulent activities, ranging from silk farming to quail farming, all in the name of making huge profits.
Dairy farming, on the other hand, has undergone significant changes in terms of technology, breeding, feeds, and fodder.
The primary objective of every dairy farmer is to increase milk production per cow per day.
Despite these advancements, farmers have fallen victim to scams, losing millions of shillings.
One such scam is the promotion of Super Napier grass, also known as Pakchong-1, as a fodder that can revolutionize the dairy industry.
The claim is that it has high crude protein and can increase milk production in cows, either when fed directly or as silage.
Unfortunately, this is not true, as trials have shown that feeding lactating cows with Super Napier either fresh or as silage has no impact on milk production.
So, why is Super Napier a scam?

The hype created by those selling Super Napier cuttings has led many farmers to abandon other protein fodders, such as maize silage, which has been shown to increase milk production by at least 15% in trials.
Research papers, such as “Dry Matter Intake, Nutritive Value, and Digestibility of Super Napier Feed to Adult Kenguri Sheep,” reveal that Super Napier has a crude protein content of only 8.44, which is lower than that of most local dairy meals at 14%.
Although Super Napier is a fast-growing fodder that yields high tonnage compared to native varieties, it lacks sufficient crude protein for increased milk production.
Moreover, a smaller cut height of less than 1.5m results in similar crude protein levels, just like local varieties.
The only silage fodder known to increase milk production is maize, sorghum, millet, or sunflower silage.
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Unfortunately, most of this stored silage ends up rotting due to poor storage practices.
The cost of Super Napier cuttings is expensive, not to mention the cost of planting and management.
The lack of results in terms of milk increase shows that it is a scam in which farmers risk losing millions of shillings.
Dairy cooperatives should carry out a nutritional analysis of Super Napier before recommending it to farmers.
It would be helpful to cite test results. One cannot dismiss scientific claims with narratives alone. Please share your test results. This is what we farmers need.