Mandera pastoralists embrace fodder farming to beat drought

After years of enduring drought and conflict over pasture, communities in Mandera County are turning to fodder farming to ensure livestock feed.

A European Union-funded project dubbed The Building Opportunities for Resilience in the Horn of Africa (Boresha-Nabad) has trained 361 farmer groups in Mandera East and Lafey constituencies on the adoption of climate-smart fodder production.

This is part of the project's broader initiative to support communities in Kenya’s borderlands to better adapt their livelihoods to climate change and environmental degradation.

The project seeks to enhance the adoption of climate-smart agro-pastoral techniques and climate-resilient income-generation activities, particularly among women and youth.

According to Yussuf Mohamed, Chief of Party at Boresha-Nabad project, the initiative will address animal feed scarcity and enhance good agricultural practices.

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Mohamed plans to connect local farmers to a regional market along the borderlines and leverage on the same to foster cohesion and integration among the communities.

"We are establishing market linkages by connecting farmers to markets across the borderlands and leveraging this connection as a path to peacebuilding, an economic enabler, and a symbol of local ingenuity," he said.

The project which was co-funded by Danish International Development Agency (Danida) supported 203 men and 158 women groups of farmers across Mandera County.

"We have trained all those farmers on good agricultural practices, including introduction to drought-resilient fodder seed varieties, seed bulking, dryland farming, and water-efficient irrigation techniques to address recurring animal feed supply shortages during drought seasons and ensure year-round livestock feed availability," said the Boresha-Nabad project boss.

The initiative has seen 120 farmer group members in the upper riverine areas of Fiqow (Mandera East constituency) and Maygag (Lafey constituency) turn to transformative fodder farming to cope with the biting drought. 

Over the past months, 100 acres of degraded land have been rehabilitated and seeded with drought-tolerant fodder crops.

Fatuma Abdi, a farmer in the Maygag location whose newly cultivated farm is already feeding over 60 goats and sheep, said the support has given her a new lease of life 

“Before this support, we watched our animals weaken with nothing to graze. Now, this green field you see is not just grass; it is life, income, and hope,” he said 

With livestock at the core of Mandera’s economy, fodder production is rapidly emerging as a game-changer for drought recovery and local food security. 

The initiative supported through the project’s targeted intervention restores livelihoods while reducing reliance on expensive imported feed and ensuring pastoralist households retain their primary assets during times of climate shocks.

“This is a bold step towards self-sufficiency and resilience. We’re seeing a shift from dependency to dignity where farmers are taking control of their future, one harvest at a time,” said Mohamed Noor, Deputy County Livestock Officer for Mandera. 

The Boresha-Nabad project goes beyond simply providing farmers with essential farm inputs. By forging strategic partnerships with key market actors like agro-vets and seed suppliers, the project ensures the long-term success and sustainability of agricultural initiatives. 

This collaborative approach not only extends the impact of the project beyond its duration but also fosters enduring relationships between farmers, agro-vets, and seed suppliers. 

By connecting all stakeholders in the agricultural value chain, Boresha-Nabad is not only transforming farms but nurturing a thriving ecosystem of support and growth for all involved. 

“As climate extremes become the new normal, we are prioritising investments that anchor resilience at the systemic level. Our intervention envisages beyond producing fodder," said Mohamed.

The project plans to scale this model across other drought-prone areas in the Mandera Triangle, linking fodder farmers to regional livestock markets and introducing mobile forage banks to strengthen availability during dry seasons. 

Building Opportunities for Resilience in the Horn of Africa (Boresha-Nabad) is a three-year project implemented by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) in partnership with the Rural Agency for Community Development (Racida).

Voice for Peace for All in the Horn of Africa (Vopa), and Mandera Women for Peace and Development (WFPD) are also part of the implementing partners

It is part of the broader EU Peaceful and Resilient Borderlands programme, which aims to foster peace and resilience in the borderland areas of Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia.