George Sadera, varsity student who reaps big from farming

A polished demeanour and ease of manner are the qualities you first notice when you meet George Sadera.

George, 24, would gel quite well with the corporate folk, except that his interests lie far from the corporate world. The fourth year food science and technology student at the University of Nairobi is a farmer in Narok County.

“I was aching for something to do when I finished high school in 2012. The first idea that came to my mind was farming,” George explains.

“My dad has a large farm in Narok, part of which was lying idle at the time, and since I had to figure out a way of raising money for my upkeep when I joined university later that year, I decided to give farming a shot,” he adds.

With a Sh10, 000 donation from his parents, he planted Irish potatoes on a half-acre piece of his father’s land. “I chose potatoes because they mature after only three months. The weather in Narok is also favourable for them.”

By the time he joined university in September 2013, he had made Sh120, 000, enough to pay part of his school fees and enrol for a CPA (certified public accountant) course.

“I also had enough pocket money to keep me going for months, which made things easy for my parents,” he recalls with pride.

The lure of the money he made at first try was so enticing, George has never stopped farming. Later, in 2015, his father divided his land amongst his siblings, bequeathing him 13 acres. “I was in my second year in university when I decided to go large-scale, and introduced more crop varieties,” he narrates.

“Right now, I have four acres of ripe maize and four acres of potatoes and peas. From another five-acre piece of land, I recently harvested 95 bags of wheat.”

As though this were not incredible for someone with schoolwork to think about as well, George has ventured into animal production.

“I breed sheep for mutton. I also have ten heads of beef cattle and two dairy cows. I fatten bulls and sheep for between four to six months using oat and commercial feed. I then sell the animals to butchers,” he says.

DIVERSITY

Rams bought for Sh4, 000, he says, sometimes fetch double the amount in profit. And in a clever bid to maximise earnings from this investment, George operates his own slaughterhouse and a butchery at Olpusimoru Ward in Narok North.

“We slaughter sheep and sell the meat to butcheries in my location. The business has employed three people,” he says, adding that he makes an average of Sh100, 000 per month from this venture.

“My supervisor coordinates all the farm activates while I focus on my academic work. I only take charge during the school long holidays,” he says.

George is also a fellow at Rockefeller Foundation. His interactions with other fellows has kept him on the radar screen of food production challenges in Africa.

He is also a youth leader in his community and the current president of Olpusimoru Youth Elites, a youth group that mentors young people in his home area and encourages them to pursue tertiary education.

He says, “Africa has perhaps the best soils and climatic conditions for agriculture, yet millions of Africans, especially children, suffer from malnutrition.”

“Poor quality seeds and diseases such as potato blight, pests, high cost of pesticides and ignorance all hamper optimal food production on the continent,” George explains, wondering why many African graduates look down on farming, yet it is a good earner, and also one of the most important solutions to the world’s hunger problem.

For farming to appeal to graduates, he argues, the government must make it a lucrative venture. “The national and county governments should collaborate to establish standard measurements for fresh farm produce such as potatoes. They should also stabilise prices,” he suggests.

According to him, protection of farmers from frenzied price fluctuations and exploitation by traders will also make farming a viable investment for graduates. “This way, graduate unemployment will dramatically reduce and food security in Kenya attained,” he says.

Thanks to his degree course, he now understands most of the farming technicalities. “I now know the best application of fertilisers and pesticides, suitable tilth and good quality seeds. Due to this knowledge, I always have a bumper harvest.”

With reliable rainfall throughout the year and with highly fertile soils, Narok County produces a plentiful supply of wheat, maize, barley and potatoes. Ironically though, there are no food processing firms in the area, George notes.

“Setting up a wheat and maize miller in this locale is an idea I have been mulling over for months now. By 2020, I hope to have raised enough money to start a miller in this town. To this effect, I have been setting aside part of my income for this venture.”

“Proximity to farms would reduce operational costs for such industries. It would also help to control random price fluctuations for farm produce,” he adds. So, besides saving for future ventures, what else does he do with the money he makes?

“From my income, I have been able to pay school fees from my second year up to now – I no longer rely on my parents to educate me. I also supported my younger sister through high school,” George says.