Forage conservation in sub?Saharan Africa: Review of experiences, challenges, and opportunities

Forage conservation is an important potential solution to seasonal variation in feed quality and quantity herder-farmer conflicts sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Considerable variations exist the type of forages conserved preservation methods across SSA. Hay from cultivated commonly made with mechanical mowers balers by large-scale commercial farms. In contrast, smallholder farmers, who dominate farming on continent, make hay natural pastures straw crop residues or stockpiled forage. Mechanized harvesting storing silage are also practiced farmers various countries including South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya. Smallholder rarely silage, despite repeated recommendations about its bridge dry season gap. This due limited resources, knowledge, skills. produced smallholders typically poor use lower forages, improper storage methods, lack economic incentive because prices do not reflect most regions. paper discusses status forage SSA recommends strategic interventions technologies improve quantity, quality, safety, pricing, utilization preserved Key deductions include need raise awareness their role bridging gap, build capacity invest appropriate technology, optimize production use, develop mechanisms relate incentivize women youth private sector engage further making selling forages.