Agriculture is the second-largest income earner in Botswana after Diamond, with citizens practicing the venture reaping big from both crop and livestock farming.
Wilfred Mwiti Kathurima, a Kenyan lawyer, is one of the farmers reaping big from farming in the South African country.
In a past interview with Alex Chamwada on Daring Abroad, Kathurima revealed he left Kenya for Zambia in 1984 in search of greener pastures.
However, his stay in Zambia didn’t last long. After three years, he saw a bigger opportunity in farming in Botswana, prompting him to relocate.
His ranch, christened Nakatsakgama farm, sits on 22,000-acre of land and hosts over 1,000 cattle mainly kept for beef, dairy products, and other commercial purposes.
“I started in a very humble situation, in a cattle post with eight cattle. But I now have 1000 cattle and it is because of resilience,” Kathurima said.
Inside Nyandarua farm with 250 dairy cows producing 60,000 litres on cheap feed
The farm is divided into five camps, each with a different type of cattle for a specific purpose.
The first camp hosts bullocks ready for market, while the second has Boran species sold to clients when demand is high.
“We sell three times a year. The bullocks are sold to Botswana Meat Commission and we can also convey to Europe and other markets. Female heifers are sold before they can be mated,” he added.
According to him, all the animals are sold at varying prices depending on size, species, and sex. A mature Bullock costs 40,000 Botswana pula (approximately Ksh400,000), while a young heifer costs about Ksh75,000.
The farmer hopes to make a similar investment back in Kenya if he manages to acquire a big piece of land.
Besides farming, Kathurima is the former President of the Real Estate Institute of Botswana. He is a qualified Land Economist, Valuation Surveyor, Property Manager, and Estate Agent.
He is also a registered member of the Real Estate Advisory Council of Botswana, a full member of the Real Estate Institutes of Botswana, Kenya, Zambia, and South Africa.