Small scale dairy farming: You don’t always have to own a big dairy farm in order for you to be a successful dairy farmer. This is the lesson derived from the story of a Bomet couple who struck gold from dairy farming. Here is the story on the small scale dairy farming success that was first published in the Business Daily by Mwangi Muiruri:
Six years ago, Peter Ng’eno won a lucrative tender to do some networking and cabling works at the Bomet County’s government offices. He holds a certificate in electrical wiring.
He viewed this opportunity, which he secured thanks to the 30 per cent allocation of tenders to youth, women and the disabled, as the golden ticket to finally free himself of a life of want.
Upon completing the job, the 32-year-old decided to invest his Sh. 400,000 profit into an income generating project from which he sought a reasonable monthly return, he says.
KCB opens door to CRB-listed Kenyans, offers Sh. 30 billion mobile loans
Having grown up grazing cows in Saunet Village in the county, he naturally settled on dairy farming.
He bought two grade cows at Sh60, 000 each with a daily production capacity of 20 litres per day.
“The problem with our village is that livestock owned by an individual or a community are supposed to first benefit the villagers. Commercialising them is secondary,” he says.
But the villagers’ demand for free milk almost ruined him. He soon realised he was never going to realise his enterprise dream in the dairy sector if he did not move.
He ditched this venture and shopped for a quarter acre piece of land in the outskirts of Bomet town.
“The piece of land cost Sh200,000. I used a further Sh100,000 to build a temporary house and a cowshed. I was now free to venture into dairy enterprise for profit,” he says.
At the onset, Mr Ng’eno and his wife Phancy Chepkemoi would make approximately Sh15, 000 net income, giving them the impetus to improve their stock.
In 2014, the duo sold off two grade cows and replaced them with a pedigree breed, doubling their daily milk collection to 40 litres. Their net income grew to Sh42,600.
“We were indeed getting somewhere,” says Ms Chepkemoi.
After doing research about the demand points across the town, the couple secured a tender to supply a hotel with milk at Sh50 per litre, setting their business on a growth trajectory.
However, they retained New KCC as their primary market as they sought the extra sale avenues. Soon, demand outstripped supply and they had to buy more cows to keep up.
“By 2016, we had improved our breed to five pedigrees and milk production was hitting 150 litres per day. Hotels were paying us Sh60 per litre,” says Ms Chepkemoi, adding that due to the current drought, it has increased to Sh70 a litre.
The couple’s returns are currently more than Sh200,000 per month. However, Mr Ng’enosays there are some new and tough challenges cropping up in the sector.
“Animal feed prices are going up at an alarming rate and quality is increasingly being compromised . We are facing a challenge of counterfeit veterinary products and the cost of treating our cows is going up every day,” he says.
Kindly connect me with Peter Ngeno .my no is 0725096064 serem
Commendable job. Kindly connect me to this serious farmer.my contact is 0722656634
Kindly connect me with NGENO +255654545405 that’s Whatsapp number.CHEMWAINA SERIAH TZ
Congratulations neighbor