Is farming profitable? 31-year-old Susan Wamuyu, a graduate from Uganda’s Makerere University, who has opted to go into dairy farming instead of struggling to look for salaried employment.
Sue (or Suu) as she is popularly known by her friends and family, has set up a profitable dairy breeding enterprise, employing herself and others. “I like to drive the agenda of my life and do things with less supervision and bureaucratic control,” she says.
So, after graduating with a Bachelors degree in Mass Communications, Sue worked briefly in Nairobi before opting to embark on a very different undertaking; agriculture. Susan returned to her parent’s farm in Kangema district, Murang’a County and established a dairy project, despite resistance from some relatives.
Photo/KAGE NJOROGE
“I did not have capital for the project to buy grade cows and set up the infrastructure required for modern livestock farming. However, I learnt from my neighbours about credit terms and products then being offered by a regional cooperative society, Murata Sacco, for this type of project,” she says.
She approached the nearby Kangema branch of Murata Sacco, where she was welcomed warmly and advised on what to do to access credit packages. A few months later, she acquired a loan and bought two exotic cows, adding to others she had got from her family.
Today the cows are producing over 30 litres of milk daily, which she sells to a local processing factory at Sh35 per litre. Her animals generate a monthly income of about Sh30, 000, she says.
Sue, who admits she is still single, says she is making some money from her own project rather than waste time seeking communication jobs in towns and county governments. She is now about to repay the credit extended to her and is contemplating to take another loan to expand her agribiz project by adding more, high-yielding cows.
Sue also plans to try processing various milk products to rake in more value. She appreciates the startup capital assistance she got from Murata Sacco, which has contributed to the success of her household-based, income- generating venture. She calls on young men and women to initiate their own enterprises which can give them financial freedom and pride of achievement.