How half-an-acre of land has changed a farmer’s fortunes

When Mr Lawrence Njuguna ventured into dairy farming, nobody imagined that his tiny piece of land would one day change his fortunes.

Now, three decades later, the retired primary school teacher does not regret making the investment.

Many people cannot imagine rearing 41 dairy cattle on a half-acre piece of land.

But the 63-year-old Njuguna has done just that on his plot at Ndenderu village in Kiambu. His cattle yield more than 250 litres of milk a day.

“I started farming with only two cows, which I bought at Sh2,000, and built a shed for Sh1,500 in 1982,” he says.

The peak, he adds, was in 1994 when he had 60 cows. However, he reduced the number because of several constraints, among them lack of animal feeds.

The cows he started with were not of good quality, but with time, Mr Njuguna improved his breeds by using quality semen.

He kept re-investing the profits from the business until he got to the current position of quality cattle breeds that can sell for as high as Sh70,000.

“You don’t need a high grade cow to produce more milk; just take good care of the cow by feeding it properly and having regular check-ups by a veterinary officer,” he advises.

Today, the father-of-four — one boy and three girls — and a grandfather-of-10 says he uses semen that costs between Sh5,000 and Sh7,000 to ensure that his cattle sire only heifers. This has seen him breed a cow that produced 42 litres of milk a day.

“Breeding is very important in getting quality heifers, which can give good results. I undertake my own artificial insemination, choosing the breed I want.”

In 1995, the farmer, popularly known as Mwalimu Njuguna, decided to go back to school to study artificial insemination (AI) so as to improve his livestock.

He later went to study fodder management in the US and is currently studying agrobusiness management at the United States International University.

He is ranked among the best dairy farmers in Kiambu County and scores high in other parts of the country.

On several occasions that we visited his home, we found Mr Njuguna talking to visiting farmers from various regions who want to try similar ventures.

Although many of his peers use the traditional hand-milking method, Mr Njuguna uses an electric machine on his 10 lactating cows.

“It makes work efficient and easy, employing less labour. Currently, I have three permanent employees and three casuals. All I do is monitor the operations, assisted by my wife Rosemary Mukami,” he says.

He wakes up before 4.30am to supervise the milking and feeding of the animals. He considers dairy farming a full-time job with a good income.
To prevent visitors from spreading disease on his farm, Mr Njuguna sprays magadi soda at the gate.

He says dairy farming is no longer a hobby, adding that it should be treated like any other business venture — complete with records on production of every cow and books of account.

The former teacher has leased three acres of land where he plants rhodes, lucerne and napier grasses, which he stores in silage form in a silo to ensure that his animals have sufficient food.

“Storage of feeds is very important as it secures the future. I have enough in my silo to last the next seven months, even if the rains fail,” he says.

He also buys wheat bran, dairy meal, and minerals to ensure that his animals get quality, balanced feed, although he laments that the high cost of these products, at times up by as much as 100 per cent, affects profits.

The daily diet of each animal comprises five kilogrammes of dry grass, seven of silage, two of chicken litter, and one of maize jam and bran.

Whereas many farmers feed their cows throughout the day, Mr Njuguna does so twice a day only — at 4.30am when milking and at 3pm, also when milking.

“My cows get proteins from silage, carbohydrates from dry grass, vitamins from fresh garden weeds, and mineral salts in the ratio of 2:1:1:0,” he says.

He adds, “One does not need to have a large piece of land to have enough feed for cows. One just needs to store the feeds whenever they are in plenty during the rainy season.”

The farmer delivers his milk to the Kiambaa Dairy Farmers Sacco in the morning and sells the rest in the evening to residents at the nearby Ndenderu shopping centre.

He complains that the prices are not good, saying the society pays Sh30 a litre.

When production is at its peak, Mr Njuguna sells about 400 litres of milk every day to the co-operative and the local market, which offers Sh40 a litre, giving him an average daily income of Sh12,000.

Like other businesses, he is affected by inflation as the prices of commodities have shot up. Notable is the price of dairy meal, which rose from Sh1,250 to sh2,000, and wheat bran, from Sh350 to Sh650.

“The prices of animal feeds and minerals have gone up. Fuel prices have also affected my business, especially in transportation of feeds and sawdust for the cow sheds,” he says.

Mr Njuguna makes an extra coin from the Sh300 fee that he charges each visiting farmer.

“I always urge small-scale farmers to visit me or any other established farmer since that is the only way they can get knowledge on the best practices,” he says.

In future, Mr Njuguna plans to add value to his produce by processing yoghurt, fresh milk, and maziwa mala (fermented milk). That way, he would maximise his profits. He also wants to become a professional breeder.