On a minimalistic 40X60 plot of land in Kahawa West, Violet Macharia has managed to set up a lucrative urban farm.
Mash Dairy Farm, she says, was established owing to the increasing popularity of dairy goat farming in Kenya and is said to have many rewards and benefits, especially in towns.
Speaking to AIM Agriculture host, Violet Macharia expressed her passion for goat farming, stating that it stems from her childhood farm experience. She would always feed on dairy goat milk.
Today she has turned that passion into a venture giving substantial returns. Mrs. Macharia keeps pigs, rabbits and goats. However, goats are her favourite, particularly breeds such as Toggenburg, German Alpine and Saanen.
She noted that her Toggenburg goats produce up to 3 litres of milk daily, Saanen can yield more than 5 litres daily, and German Alpine can provide 5 litres daily.
Violet Macharia recounted how she started with two 4-month-old goats, male and female, back in 2017. In 2018, they increased in number and she had her first milking season, of up to 6 litres daily.
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“I started with two goats in 2017. They were pure goats that I had bought from someone,” she said.
Currently, Mrs Macharia has 70 goats on her farm. She sells a litre of milk at Sh. 200, and there’s a consistent demand for her product. Additionally, the young mother has sold some goats after participating in agricultural shows.
“I also sell manure. There’s a market for everything. The milk has high demand and is usually not enough,” she said, adding that she gets about 20 litres of milk daily.
This year, Mrs Macharia’s buck received an award at the Nairobi National Agricultural Show, and she was honoured by the President of Kenya, H.E. William Ruto.
She feeds her goats on Lucerne, Boma Rhodes, and occasionally Silage. She also provides them with mineral supplements like salt and dairy meal as needed.
Violet Macharia encouraged young farmers to take up dairy farming, despite limited land space. Starting small and making gradual progress may lead to big achievements, evidenced by her award from the president.
“I encourage them to keep dairy goats because they take up occupy a small space and feed on very little. For a goat, it can only take 1.5 kgs per day.”