Benefits From Hydroponics Fodder

• A farmer normally has to wait for at least 3 months before the fodder can be harvested and fed to the animals.
• There is no need of weeding and storage facilities and no post-harvest losses as fodder is produced at the demand rate of livestock. Hydroponics fodder is an organic feeding strategy, the fodder is free from antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, or herbicides.
• Green hydroponic fodder has good palatability. The germinated seeds embedded in the root system are consumed along with the shoots of the plants, so there is no nutrient wasting.
• The farm is guaranteed of a consistent supply of quality fodder throughout the year irrespective of climate conditions.
• Only 1.5-2 litres of water is required to germinate 1kg of maize seed to get 6-8kg of green fodder.
• Less land is required.
• No need of fertilizers.
• Only 1 person is needed to produce 400kgs of fodder daily.
• No need of weeding and storage facilities and no post-harvest losses as fodder is produce at the demand rate of livestock.
• Feeding green fodder improves supply of minerals and vitamins to dairy cows hence improves the general health of the animals.
• Hydroponics fodder is an organic feeding strategy—the fodder is free from antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, or herbicides.
• Low costs since there is no need of fuel for harvesting, transportation, and other field operational related costs.

Hydroponic fodder system as part of disaster relief

• Many farmers in urban and peri-urban communities depend on their livestock for subsistence. For them disasters like flooding, drought, earthquake and war can be extremely devastating. Disasters not only leave people without an immediate source of food and potable water, but their livestock as well. If animals are supplemented with green hydroponics fodder and water, their owners get milk and meat.
• Often times, as a result of drought, farmers lack a way to feed and water their cows. Farmers are forced to sell off their animals very cheaply before weight loss or death — thus losing money. Not only does this situation have direct negative impact on the individual farmer, it also worsens the economic situation for entire communities — making them dependent on the government support and hand-outs from charitable organisations.
• Many farmers are switching from communal to zero-grazing, as pasture land availability becomes scarce, and increased drought conditions make it unproductive. Hydroponics maize fodder is nutritious, palatable and digestible and can be grown in low cost devices with locally home grown grains. Against impeding climate change, hydroponics fodder production is an effective alternative technology for sustainable zero grazing dairy cattle production in different regions of Uganda.