Sugarcane growing in Bomet is not an established venture like in Westen Kenya. Farmers who grow this crop do it in small gardens and when mature, the cane is consumed at the family level.

However, a farmer in Toronik, Chepalungu Sub-county, Bomet County has gone against the grain and found new use of the cane — using it to feed his dairy cows during the dry spells.

“Sugarcane is a drought-resistant crop and it comes in handy during the dry season when there is a shortage of animal feed. I have also noticed it boosts my cows’ milk production,” says Eliud Bomsut.

BLIND COW

Bomsut who has been feeding his cows with the cane since 1995, learnt of the economic value of sugarcane by sheer luck.

“During that time, a severe drought hit this area throwing farmers into panic because they had no idea what they would feed their animals on. Herders were forced to walk as far as Mau Forest, which is over 100 kilometres away, in search of animal pasture. I wanted to join the mission, but unfortunately, I had a blind cow that could not go all the way. So I had to think out of the box otherwise my animals would die of starvation,” he recalls.

The only crop on his quarter acre farm was sugarcane, which had survived the drought. “I decided to feed my animals on the cane because I had no other alternative,” recalls Bomsut, a retired teacher.

“Before, I used to sell the sugarcane in the local market and to school going children, to supplement my income,” he says.

After feeding the animals on the cane for sometime, he was surprised that they did not fail ill, instead, their milk supply increased.

The neighbours were surprised that while their animals were dying, Bomsut’s were thriving. He started selling the surplus to his neighbours.

MORE ORDERS

“The curious neighbours started asking me what I was feeding my animals on and they wanted the same. Orders started coming in fast and furious and that is how I enlarged my sugarcane farm,” he says.

The sugarcane came in handy during the dry spells when farmers were forced to walk long distance in search of animal feeds.

“I have planted over six acres of sugarcane now and I’m sure I will have enough to feed my cows and sell the remainder,” he says.

Bomsut has 12 cows, a mix of Friesians and Jerseys.

While other farmers in the area feed their livestock on sugarcane tops and bagasse, Bomsut offers the entire cane to his cows.

He does not feed his animals on sugar cane alone because he is well aware that livestock need a balanced diet.

WHY SUGAR CANE

“I also have an acre and a half farm under Rhodes grass and another acre has Napier grass. I also have a plot with lucerne and desmodium. I know livestock need all these so that they can get all the different nutrients to grow,” he says.

What do experts say about feeding animals on sugar cane?

Bomet County Small-holder Dairy Commercialisation Program Coordinator, Evans Kiplagat, says use of sugarcane as livestock feed is common in cane growing regions but using the whole cane is not widespread.

He acknowledges that the cane has a lot of sugar that provides energy to the livestock.

But Mr Kiplagat cautions that farmers should not just feed their animals on cane, but also supplement with other feeds to ensure the animals are healthy.

“Farmers feeding their cows on sugarcane should ensure they have alternative sources of proteins and vitamins,” he says.

ALL ROUNDED DIET

Kiplagat says feeding cows on sugar cane to boost milk production is a new frontier in the dairy industry that has for a long time relied on traditional feeds such as Napier grass and boma Rhodes.

He also advises that farmers planning to feed their cows on cane, must cut it before it becomes too mature and fibrous.

He says young cane less than four feet high is the best because that is when it is highly digestible.

The officer says like Bomsut, more farmers in the region are embracing sugar cane as a farming initiative.

But why this trend? Bomsut says sugarcane project is easy to establish and maintain. To grow sugarcane, he first prepares two-feet long cuttings of cane from the mature crop in his farm. He uses a tractor for this purpose.

As a tractor digs the land, it creates a furrow where Bomsut and his workers arrange the cuttings.

On subsequent trips, the tractor will cover the cuttings in the first furrow while at the same time create a new furrow where a new line of sugarcane is placed.

Once planted, nothing much is added until the cane is ready for cutting.

Since the rows are close, he says no weeding is needed.

For that reason, Bomsut says he has never applied any chemicals to his cane to control pests and diseases.

CHOPPED CANE

“Another advantage of growing sugar cane is that it survives the long dry spells and thus comes in handy when all other pasture has dried up,” he says.

The innovative farmer has been selling the sugarcane to livestock farmers in the region especially when rains fail.

He sells a 7-tonne lorry load of sugarcane at between Sh7,000 and Sh10,000 and chopped sugarcane at Sh600 a sack.

He also sells cane to traders who take them to the local markets.

Thanks to the sugar cane meal, some of his Friesians produce up to 25 litres of milk daily while the best Jersey produces 18 litres.

From all his cows, he gets between 60 to 100 litres of milk daily, which he supplies to local schools and retail markets at between Sh40 to Sh50 per litre.

His farming project has enabled him take good care of his family and pay fees for his children.

“I have a big family and I am able to feed and educate my many children from proceeds from this farm,” says Bomsut who has three wives.