In a notable collaboration between Tetra Pak and the Githunguri Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society (GDFCS), top-performing dairy extension officers from Githunguri, Kiambu County, were recognised for their outstanding efforts in the Maize for Silage Competition.

The competition, held at the Fresha Model Farm, aimed to foster innovative farming techniques and promote economic sustainability for small-scale dairy farmers.

The competition, organised by Tetra Pak in conjunction with GDFCS, focused on teaching practical methods for preserving forage during surplus production seasons, which would then be used as feed during drought periods.

This approach was also intended to stabilise milk production and improve farm profitability.

The event not only celebrated the success of the extension team but also highlighted recent developments at the Fresha Model Farm.

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Among these were the arrival of the first cows on site and the conclusion of a two-year TOR agreement between Tetra Pak and GDFCS.

Additionally, the farm hosted farmer-centric discussion groups aimed at encouraging knowledge sharing and promoting modern farming techniques.

Following theoretical training on maize establishment for silage, the GDFCS Quality Assurance and Extension Service Manager, Francis Muhande, recommended establishing maize plots at the Fresha Model Farm as part of the practical training.

This evolved into a competition among the extension teams to showcase their understanding of silage production.

The competition saw four groups, each comprising 4-5 members, tasked with cultivating and maintaining their maize plots from April 2024 until harvest in August.

Each team presented their own maize establishment plan and was responsible for managing the crop through to its maturity.

The maize was then harvested, chopped into silage bags, and tested for quality using a ProDairy portable scanner.

The scanner measured the silage's nutritive value, helping determine the potential milk yield per square metre of each plot.

The winning team was chosen based on the quantity of milk their plot’s silage could produce.

“The production of milk by dairy farmers in Githunguri has increased substantially since we engaged farmers on the production of more protein in their farms,” remarked Fredrick Muriithi, General Manager of GDFCS.

“We have the capacity to produce up to 400,000 litres per day but we are currently operating at 70 per cent hence the need to scale silage production among our 11,500 dairy farmers.”

Tetra Pak Managing Director for East Africa, Jonathan Kinisu, praised the competition, stating: “We have learnt valuable lessons from our partnership with Githunguri Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society on the Fresha Model Farm."

"We intend to continue to scale our partnership and efforts to save on energy and water to bring down utility bills and in the process increase milk volumes for the benefit of farmers in Githunguri," Kinisu added.

Plans for the 2025 Maize Silage Competition were also unveiled during the event.

The next competition will not only involve the extension officers but also invite Reference Farmers to participate, making it a larger, more inclusive event aimed at further promoting best practices in silage production.

The competition will be held annually, with a floating trophy awarded to the top teams.