Grass saver: Farmers find hope in new hay technology

Jonathan Olelila, a livestock farmer, inside his hay barn in Kajiado County.  [Nanjinia Wamuswa, Standard]

For years, small-scale livestock farmers in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (Asals) have faced the same relentless challenge — lack of reliable animal feed during recurring drought seasons.

The changing climate has disrupted rainfall patterns and left many pastoral communities with bare grazing fields. Natural grass, which makes up the biggest share of available feed, is drying up faster than it can regrow, leaving animals to starve and farmers to count their losses.

At the moment, despite the onset of the long rains, large parts of the ASAL regions are still reeling from a severe shortage of grazing material.

In some areas, animals are dying while others are growing weak and emaciated. For many farmers, the struggle to sustain their herds has become a season-after-season reality.

Among those who have lived through these tough times is Jonathan Olelila, a livestock farmer in Kajiado County.

Over the years, Olelila watched helplessly as his animals suffered whenever drought hit. “Natural grass being the biggest percentage of available feeding material is normally affected by the vagaries of climate change,” he explains.

He used to graze his cattle openly, relying on what nature provided. But after years of disappointment, he decided to take a different route — subdividing his land and  planting grass specifically for hay production.

However, even with this shift, new challenges emerged. Hiring local hay balers proved unreliable.

“By the time they would be available to visit my farm, the grass would have already dried up, losing the necessary nutritional requirements that are beneficial for my animals,” he recalls.

To make matters worse, the hay he got was often of poor quality. “The hay stacks were not well compressed, leading to oxidation and losing the little nutrition. When fed to my cattle, the grass would only fill their bellies with no beneficial gains to their bodies.

“The cost was also very high at Ksh 90 per bale, meaning that it was not economical when it came to selling meat or milk or even the bales.”

Olelila's story is echoed by Paul Keshe, a young livestock farmer in Narok County, who has tried various techniques, including rotational grazing, to keep his animals fed through the dry months.

He has paddocked his land into four sections, hoping to allow grass to regenerate between grazing cycles. Still, the results haven’t been as promising as he hoped.

“Baling hay is one of the best practices that can save my animals from the effects of drought,” Keshe says. “Grazing on the other hand destroys the grass and the animals cannot eat it all, meaning a lot is going to waste.”

Animals only feed on about 30 per cent of the available grass during open grazing, trampling and wasting the rest as they move around.

For farmers like Olelila and Keshe, hope came in the form of an innovation designed to make hay baling easier, faster, and more affordable — a portable baling machine known as the Rhino Baler.

Invented by Jerome Cupido, a Canadian engineer, and manufactured locally in Machakos County, the machine is turning out to be a game-changer for small-scale livestock farmers in Kenya.

The baler it is a hand-loaded, stand-alone machine operated by just two people. What makes it stand out is its ability to access areas that tractors cannot — even forested or uneven parts of a farm.

The Rhino Baler delivers 20 tonnes of force through a hydraulic system, compacting grass so tightly that no air can get in. This prevents oxidation and helps preserve the nutritional quality of the hay.

With a capacity to produce up to 16 bales per hour without needing a tractor, the baler offers a low-cost and efficient solution for farmers with small parcels of land.

Cupido says the idea came from observing the struggles of small livestock keepers. “The motivation to create the Rhino Baler came from an empathy to improve the livelihoods of Kenyan farmers,” he says.

“Every time I am in the country, I see the ambitions and will they have in their work. I see opportunities to develop solutions for them in order to create a sustainable agribusiness. Given the right tools, people could survive.”

He points out that while silage has become a popular feed solution among some farmers, it comes with risks and costs.

“Most farmers in the country are turning to silage as a feed solution, but if the plastic wrap is broken and air gets in, the bag goes bad. Also, silage needs different supplements like sugars to break down the material. This is risky and expensive,” he explains.

“But hay baled with the machine can be stored for years and fed to animals during the dry seasons.”

For Jonathan, the results have been transformative. On his five-acre farm, he now grows grass specifically for hay.

With the Rhino Baler, he can produce between 1,000 and 1,500 bales depending on rainfall. The sense of relief and empowerment is clear in his voice as he talks about the change.

“When I feed the cows with the hay, they eat everything till they lick the ground,” Olelila says. “The compaction retains the green nutrition and they love even the aroma that has been retained.”

The innovation has not only ensured feed security for his animals but also given him confidence to expand. “I’m now planning to increase my herd since I have surplus feed throughout the year despite the drought,” he says.

Beyond helping individual farmers, Cupido believes that such locally made technologies can help bridge the productivity gap that has long hindered small-scale farmers in Africa.

“Meat and dairy products consumption has increased drastically in the last 25 years with the rise of the middle class, yet the small-scale livestock farmer has been left behind,” he says.

“There is no risk in raising a healthy beef cow since the market is already there and will continue to grow.”

His message to farmers is simple: “Grazing livestock on dry pastures has no benefit to the animal since they will just be feeding on lignin, which can basically be compared to dry wooden twigs. Cut and bale your grass when it has just matured.” 

Agriculture experts agree that such technologies are crucial as Kenya and other African countries confront the growing impacts of climate change on food production.

Jimmy Smith, Director General at the International Livestock Research Institute, emphasises that climate change remains “the most compelling issue of our time.”

“Climate change is the most compelling issue of our time, and it will affect everyone, especially those who are producing food in the developing world — more so livestock farmers in the ASALs,” says Smith.

He says that while farmers have amassed a wealth of indigenous knowledge over generations, it is by working together with scientists and engineers that lasting solutions will emerge.

“By leveraging this knowledge, we can develop new technologies that will come in handy to help alleviate recurring challenges in livestock feed availability. Through co-creating, farmers will be familiar with the new interventions and have more confidence in them.”

Partnerships between innovators and local farmers are reshaping how feed is produced, stored, and used. The Rhino Baler represents a shift in how small-scale livestock production can be modernised without alienating farmers or pricing them out.

The baler’s design is also simple and practical. Built with a three-wheel chassis and a front steering wheel, it can be towed or pushed manually by two people. “You may need a couple of men to push it up an incline, but it has the provision for towing,” says the inventor.

The wheels are trailer-grade and suitable for both on-road and off-road use, allowing the machine to operate in even the roughest rural terrains.

For farmers, such technology could mark the beginning of a new era in livestock management. By making hay baling affordable and accessible, it gives them a way to beat the drought cycle and secure year-round feed supplies.