Joseph Waswa, a trader based in Webuye, has never been one to shy away from risk, not when there is an opportunity for a big pay day.
Waswa started poultry farming in 2020. According to him, he was inspired to start the project after visiting President William Ruto’s poultry farm in Sugoi.
“I started off the project after I requested to visit the President’s Sugoi residence to benchmark on poultry farming. The visit to Sugoi was an eye-opener, and I decided to try out what I had learned at the farm,” He said.
He started keeping about 10,000 birds but was later informed of a plan to revamp a chicken slaughterhouse in Chwele, Bungoma prompting him to increase his flock to more than 45,000 birds. Waswa rears both broilers and layers on his Melpa poultry farm.
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He said at first, he did not know where to sell his eggs and took time making contacts to enable him to get buyers in Bungoma. He sells eggs and meat to supermarkets and hotels in Bungoma.
“We have a ready market for eggs. We sell to schools, shops, homes, hospitals and other institutions. A crate of eggs goes for between Sh270 and Sh330,” he said in an interview with Business Daily.
On a good day, the layers produce about one hundred crates of eggs. Waswa produces homemade feeds to cut production costs.
He added that, at times, he also buys the feeds in Mbale, Iginga, and Tororo in Uganda, where they are cheaper compared to the local markets.
“Most of the time, we get our feeds from neighboring Uganda where the prices are affordable compared to locally. We decided to buy our own machine that was imported from China to help us make our own feeds at the farm, and that has made all the difference,” he said.
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To keep the birds safe from diseases, Waswa regularly medicates his flock and separates them in case of a disease outbreak. He has always kept good records of vaccination that ensure the birds are healthy.
His farm has attracted other farmers who are determined to learn the tricks of successful poultry farming.
“I want to advise residents of Bungoma to start a business that will earn them a profit in the shortest period of, say, four months and two weeks. Poultry framing is easy and well paying if one knows what to do,” said Waswa.