Making new pasture

To make new pasture, sow or plant grass.

Wait till the grass has grown and become fairly tall before putting animals on it. When the animals have eaten the grass, take them to another pasture. The grass will grow again on the first pasture. Wait till it has fully grown before putting the animals back on the first pasture. Sown or planted pastures can yield plenty of grass.

To make a new pasture, sow Pueraria, Centrosema, Stylosanthes, Crotalaria, Melinis, Napier grass (elephant grass). Ask the extension worker what plants to use and where to buy them.

Many of these plants continue to grow during the dry season. So you have a reserve of pasture grass, and the animals are well fed all the year.

These plants protect the soil and make it richer. When you plough up this pasture, the crops that you grow afterwards will yield good harvests. The pasture is part of the land allocation (see Booklet No. 5, page 27). The pasture acts as a fallow.