Production and economic performance of women-led grass seed and hay enterprises in Kuku ward, Kajiado County. Focus group discussion report

This report presents findings from focus group discussions on women-led grass seed and hay enterprises in Kuku Ward, Kajiado South, Kenya. The discussions examine how forage production is integrated with water-harvesting bunds to support rangeland restoration, improve dry-season feed availability, and generate income. The enterprise model involves harvesting grass seed followed by baling the remaining biomass as hay, with participants reporting improved grass establishment and forage availability following the introduction of water bunds. Beyond income generation, the enterprises contribute to feed security, women’s economic participation, household resilience, and community knowledge transfer. However, their development is constrained by insecure access to land, high labour and machinery requirements, invasive weeds, limited access to quality seed, rainfall variability, wildlife interactions, governance challenges, dependence on limited markets, and weak enterprise records. The findings indicate that the model has potential to link rangeland restoration with women’s livelihoods, but its sustainability requires stronger land-use arrangements, seed quality systems, market diversification, shared machinery, improved enterprise management and record keeping, and a gradual transition from project-supported activities to a commercially viable business model.