When she retired from politics to try her hand at growing cattle feed, Nelly Sum had no inkling how successful the venture would be.

Sum, a former councillor at the defunct Nandi County Council, now supplies fodder to leading agrovets in Eldoret town and dairy farmers.

Initially, the 68-year-old did not have her own dairy cows. She started by growing Nandi Seteria at her farm in Ngechek, Nandi County, in 2002.

Seteria is a variety of grass that is highly sought by dairy farmers in the region.

“My pasture production was thriving. I could harvest Nandi Seteria, crash it into fine form and package it in 18kg bags, selling each at Sh300. I sold between 200 and 300 bags within six months,” says Sum.

She also harvested, packaged and sold pasture seeds to dairy farmers at Sh700 per kilogramme.

Sum’s business would soon gain the admiration of her sons and daughters who wondered why she was producing the best feeds for dairy cows yet she was not a milk producer.

Following consultations in September last year, the family resolved to put up a unit housing 20 hybrid dairy cows so that the former civic leader could try milk production.

A family friend living in Israel sent them pictures of a model dairy farm and they chose to construct one using that design.

Sum then bought the first batch of three inbreed dairy cows from a breeder in Nakuru at Sh150,000 each. Within the same month, 10 other grade cows were bought and her business kicked off on a high note.

Despite her age, she was determined to make it in dairy farming. She ensured there was adequate feeds and a conducive environment for optimum production.

“Within the first month, three cows calved. Each produced 26 litres of milk per day. I am now in my third month in this business and I am currently getting an average of 110 litres each day and production is increasing by the day,” Sum says.

Earnings from the venture have been improving since December when she started selling the first milk produce in bulk. The dairy farm, she said, generated Sh58,000 last month.

“The project is still in its initial stage. I supply milk produce to Lelchego, a farmers’ co-operative society that collects produce before selling it to processors. I deliver 50 litres in the morning and another 60 litres in the evening,” said Sum.

She also reserves several litres for her calves and for consumers within her locality.

“I could have ventured into dairy farming earlier rather than join politics. We have to, however, appreciate the fact that there is always time for everything,” she says.