By Vision Reporter
For the ninth-year running, Vision Group, together with the Embassy of Netherlands, KLM Airlines, dfcu Bank and Koudijs Animal Nutrition, is running the Best Farmers competition.
The 2024 competition will run from April to November, with the awards in December. Every week, Vision Group platforms will publish profiles of the farmers. Winners will walk away with sh150 and a fully paid-for trip to the Netherlands.
Somewhere in the middle of the remote, flat rural countryside of Akimeng in Kamutur sub-county, Bukedea district, imposing and expansive structures made of corrugated iron sheets stand out.
These facilities, which could easily be mistaken for a warehouse, are the only signs of modernity in this secluded area.
However, it does not take long for a visitor to discern the economic activity taking place here, as the serene morning silence is suddenly interrupted by familiar loud cattle grunts that soon blend into a chorus.
Upon gaining entry, it is astounding to discover that these large structures are actually modern livestock shelters for cattle, goats, sheep and pigs.
Jaira Farm is an integrated farming venture established by John Kokas Omiat and Joyce Omiat four years ago. The farm, sitting on a 64-acre parcel of land, hosts a variety of economic enterprises.
The dairy enterprise, still in its formative stage, remains the fl agship activity on the farm, currently producing between 110 and 114 litres of milk daily.
“One hundred litres of our daily milk production is regularly processed into yogurt beverage; the surplus is reserved for our consumption and our workers,” Joyce says.
Yogurt production is the leading income-generating enterprise on the farm, bringing in sh12m each month. The goat enterprise is another significant aspect of the farm. With a current goat population averaging 500, it generates between sh5m and sh10m per month for the couple.
“The number of goats could have exceeded 1,000, but we keep selling them off. The proceeds help sustain the business on the farm,” Omiat says.
Piggery is one of the recently introduced enterprises; it has been less than a month since the couple acquired a breeding stock of five Camborough pigs.
Other enterprises on the farm include a fish pond stocked with 4,000 catfish; sheep and a charcoal briquette production venture. The briquettes are made from cow dung and other materials.
Dairy enterprise
Although the couple’s kraal currently boasts a herd of 48 animals (both local and various improved species), 15 of these form the current lactating stock. Like the rest of the livestock on the farm, this number continues to grow daily.
“From the onset, our dream has been to establish a robust dairy enterprise. However, along the way, we discovered another potential economic opportunity, prompting us to revisit our vision and include turning the farm into a cattle breeding hub,” Joyce says.
The dairy enterprise has undergone tremendous evolution. At the inception of the farm four years ago, all the cows were local.
However, benchmarking trips to both local and neighbouring Kenya proved to be eventful.
“The benchmarking trips, particularly in Kenya, have enabled us to acquire high milk-yielding breeds, which we have now blended with our local dairy stock,” Joyce adds.
Among the improved dairy breeds the couple has acquired is the Sahiwal. Other varieties introduced on the farm include Jersey, Ayrshire and Friesian.
“Ayrshire is uniquely remarkable for its milk production, which ranges between 20 and 25 litres per day,” Joyce says.
Adding value on milk
Growing up in the cattle corridor belt of Teso sub-region, the Omiats are no strangers to the livestock business. From the conception of their farming idea, they have closely monitored milk market trends.
“However, a careful evaluation of the enterprise revealed that yogurt production was a better option than selling raw milk, which would yield us a mere daily income of sh100,000 and only sh3m a month at the current market price of sh1,000 per litre,” Joyce explains.
At the inception of the yogurt enterprise, the couple experimented with two different yogurt pack sizes: 200g and 500g. Market feedback indicated that the 200g pack was the most popular, prompting them to focus on that size.
Although the 500g pack has not been completely phased out, it is occasionally produced when loyal clients (such as large shops and supermarkets) place orders.
From the 100 litres of milk dedicated to yogurt production, the farm regularly produces 500 packs.
Today, the goat enterprise has grown to 500 animals, a positive trend for a business that started with just a dozen local goats.
Ongoing interactions with the farming community, both in person and on social media, have been invaluable to the couple.
“We’ve been able to share crucial business insights, such as the advice to cross our local goat stock with exotic bucks. We took this tip to heart, acquiring a Savannah and Boer buck (male goats), which are now breeding with our local female goats. We are already seeing the results, as our goat stock is experiencing tremendous improvement, producing quality cross-offspring with carcass weights three times that of the local variety,” Omiat says with hearty laughter.
Moreover, the pattern of litres from each local female goat served by an exotic buck has shifted from typically one offspring to either twins or triplets.
“To avoid inbreeding, we have prioritised the budget for acquiring fresh Savannah and Boer bucks every year, quickly disposing of the older ones,” Omiat says.
A Savannah or Boer buck from accredited breeders costs between sh750,000 and sh800,000. The improvement in goat quality has attracted a large clientele, including butchers and individuals seeking animals for meat and breeding.
An average cross-bred goat from the farm sells at between sh180,000 and sh250,000.
Sheep
Although the sheep enterprise is still developing, it has already begun to generate economic gains for the couple.
A mature sheep on the farm sells at between sh250,000 and sh300,000.
Piggery
The piggery enterprise is hardly a month old, but it shows vibrant future prospects for profitability.
“The five Camborough parent stock are in an advanced stage of conception,” Joyce says.
Pasture
If there is one area the couple has focused on, it is livestock feeds. The expansive land allows them to grow a variety of grasses on a large scale. Livestock feed now occupies almost half of the 64-acre farm.
Current pasture fields include coriander and napier grass. It is a priority for the couple to plant soya bean (a legume) on 25 acres of land every season.
“All the harvest from the soya bean fields is reserved for the livestock,” Omiat says.
The couple also owns tractors and grows maize on an extensive scale, exclusively for livestock feed.
Water
The couple has drilled a deep well equipped with a solar water pump that draws water from underground and drains it into large tanks.
They have also implemented rainwater harvesting, using gutters on the animal shelters to channel water into a nearby underground tank.
Fish Pond enterprise
At the beginning of this year, the couple hosted a team from the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO).
This visit aimed to provide farming tips, and among the NARO team were aquaculture experts.
During their tour of the farm, they suggested excavating a fish pond, an idea eagerly embraced by the couple.
Charcoal Briquettes made from dung
Joyce adopted the concept of making cooking materials from the Samburu community in neighbouring Kenya during her early benchmarking trips.
Like the Teso sub-region, the Samburu community is also a cattle corridor. In the past, the Samburu faced significant challenges with extensive tree vegetation degradation.
Years of struggle, especially for mothers and young girls traditionally responsible for cooking, led to a search for sustainable solutions to the chronic firewood shortage.
“Samburu women and girls invented making charcoal briquettes from cow dung,” Joyce says.
The process involves mixing cow dung, clay, and charcoal dust with a little water to create a sticky mixture. Small portions of this mixture are then moulded into balls, which take three days to dry.
“When lit on a charcoal stove, these briquettes produce a sustained red-orange flame,” she chuckles.
Joyce started the briquette enterprise out of compassion. She began by donating all briquettes made from her first production to households in trading centres, eager to teach recipients how to use them.
“The pioneer recipients of my briquettes now form part of my ever-growing clientele,” she notes. A pack of ten briquette balls sells for sh1,000.
Achievements
The couple is delighted that what was once a dream of establishing a farm four years ago has become a reality.
Although the project has yet to reach a break-even point, they are pleased that nearly every enterprise on the farm has started or is about to generate revenue.
The Omiats are especially happy that the few enterprises currently bringing in income cover their overhead costs, including salaries and wages for eight permanent staff, who include a veterinary physician, as well as livestock drug bills. The farm’s substantial livestock feed supply sometimes allows for surplus sales, providing additional revenue.
“Many farmers in the vicinity come to buy bales of feed for their animals,” Joyce says.
The breeding of both cattle and goats on the farm is steadily expanding their clientele and business. For instance, the giant Cross Sahiwal cattle (offspring of Sahiwal and local cows) are quickly attracting orders.
Both breeders and butchers favour Sahiwal cross cattle for their excellent nutrition and rapid growth. A juvenile male cross can weigh 180-200kg at slaughter.
Challenges
The greatest challenge for the couple has been the high prevalence of deadly tick parasites.
“Since the inception of the farm, we have lost about 10 exotic animals to tick parasites,” Omiat sadly notes.
However, with prudent guidance from their veterinary physician, they are managing this challenge.
“We’ve adopted a pattern of weekly spraying for the animals,” Omiat says.
Initially, calves of the exotic varieties were frequently susceptible to pneumonia, resulting in some fatalities. This issue has also been managed.
They decided to stop sourcing private veterinary services and instead hired a permanent veterinary physician for the farm.
“She is regularly on-site and has effectively managed sudden epidemic outbreaks,” insists Omiat.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Joyce showcasing her goats project during the interview. Her goat enterprise has grown to 500 animals.
