By Stephen Nuwagira
When you meet him for the first time, Richard Kansiime reminds you of the agricultural officers of yesteryears.
He is enthusiastic and articulate about farming and progressive agriculture.
It is no surprise that the soft-spoken agri-preneur is a household name in Igorora town council and Ibanda district.
Kansiime was selected as one of the eight farmers to pilot the Parish Development Model in Igorora, a move that will ensure the district fully taps into his resourcefulness in agribusiness. He is a farmer trainer and supplier of piglets to government programmes like the National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADS) and Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) in Ibanda district.
The 47-year-old resident of Ntungamo cell has over the past 27 years amassed a body of knowledge on commercial agriculture that has enabled him to build a multi-million agribusiness empire.
Kansiime operates three main enterprises – poultry, piggery and dairy farming.
Starting out with two local breed cows, he is now a sought-after model farmer and trainer in all the three sub-sectors, according to Peter Abaho, the Ibanda district principal agriculture officer. The multi-enterprise farmer earns about sh80m per annum from his commercial farming ventures. He earns sh1.5m per month from milk.
He gets sh16m from the piggery unit every year. Eggs generate sh330,000 daily or over sh9m per month.
His projects sit on 62 acres, most of which was acquired using proceeds from the farming.
He has three acres of land where he grows maize and eight others are under Napier grass for making silage.
Starting out
Kansiime is a self-made man.
The model farmer has largely built his farming enterprise on determination and drive to succeed in life, says Tito Mugabe, the former agriculture officer for Igorora, who has worked with Kansiime for over two years now.
Mugabe is now the Rwenkobwa town council (Ibanda North County) agriculture officer.
Kansiime dropped out of school in Primary Five due to lack of school fees. The inheritance of two local breed cows from his father in 1994 marked his journey into livestock production.
He sold the cows in 1996 at sh1.8m and bought two cross-breed cows, venturing into dairy farming. From a few litres of milk when he started, Kansiime presently produces about 75 litres per day.
“When I realised that the cows were bringing good cash, I decided to start making silage to supplement their feeding to boost milk production,” he said.
The move paid off as milk output once hit almost 100 litres daily from six cows. Of the milk produced daily, the farmer sells 70 litres to Igorora Dairy Farmers Association, earning sh2.5m per month. A litre of milk is at sh1,200 presently in Ibanda.
Kansiime prefers to sell the milk through the local farmer cooperative because it offers good rates and pays farmers on time.
He has 11 Friesians. Of these, six are cows, of which four are milking. Three are female calves, one heifer and one male bovine (young bull). He says he sells bulls at eight months old for sh1.2m each. Heifers the same age cost sh2m, while in-calf heifers are at about sh3.5m and mature cows go for up to sh6m, depending on size and breed.
Challenges
Fake acaricides and drugs are a major challenge for Kansiime. In addition, the expensive vet drugs eat into his returns. He calls on the government to protect farmers by apprehending the unscrupulous dealers selling fake and substandard drugs. The common cattle diseases on the farm are East Coast Fever, Lump Skin and Mastitis, he says.
Low milk prices that at times that fall as low as sh450 per litre also affect his business.
There is also the high cost of modern equipment to make silage. Kansiime uses a small locally fabricated machine to make silage.
“The government should subsidise dairy farmers to buy better machines for quality silage-making. This will boost milk production,” he says.
He uses a hybrid approach of semi-zero grazing, saying he cannot afford good equipment to make silage.
He dedicated part of his land to grow pasture, but explains that, without crop irrigation, the long dry spells always exhaust his silage stocks.
Poultry unit
When Kansiime decided to diversify into poultry in 1998, he wanted to maximise the benefits of mixed farming. He started with sh1.2m that he used to acquire 300 layer chicks at sh4,000 each. During the second phase, he increased to 1,000 layer chicks. Later in 2019, he added another 1,000 chicks of the kroiler breed to “tap into both the meat and egg markets,” he explains. Presently, he rears only kroilers.
“I usually sell the cocks from three months old upwards. They have demand because their meat as like that of local birds. Even the eggs are sold at premium rates like those of the local chicken because of their yellow yolk as they are fed on greens,” he explains.
Each tray costs sh10,000-sh11,000. Kansiime has 2,250 birds, including 1,250 kroilers (cocks and hens) and 1,000 layers, giving him about 960 eggs daily.
He sells the off-layers at between sh20,000 and sh30,000 each, depending on size while the cocks go sh40,000 on average. The birds are sold to hotel operators and mchomo vendors in Ibanda town and Igorora trading centre while some are taken by people with parties, like weddings and thanksgiving.
The farmer has taken advantage of new media and markets their products and services on social media platforms, Twitter, WhatsApp and Facebook.
Why poultry
Kansiime says he was attracted to bird rearing because it does not need a lot of land; one can also get return on investment easily and quickly.
“It also boosts family nutrition and hence helps me save on money for eggs and meat.”
He started with storeyed temporary wooden structure for the birds that cost him sh40m to build. Recently, he completed a three-room permanent house for the birds at cost of sh32m. Katusiime explains that the initial three-storey structure cost more because timber at the time was scarce, adding that the bricks used to build the second bird (which was smaller) were made by the family members, something that helped to reduce the cost.
Good practices for poultry
- Ensure the chicks are fully immunised to guard against diseases like Newcastle. Kansiime says the suppliers give farmers charts showing the right times to immunise the chicks.
- Feed the birds well and always provide enough water. This is crucial for proper growth of chicks. Poor feeding and watering affect egg production and should be avoided. Farmers can always consult extension staff or model farmers for guidance on information concerning the ratios to give their birds, the model farmer advises.
- Ensure cleanliness and hygiene to reduce incidences of pests and diseases.
- Good housing is also essential. The houses should be well positioned for better aeration, which helps to provide fresh air and ensure there is no bad smell in the unit. Otherwise, the birds will suffer from eyes diseases or flu, among others.
- Consult vets
- Always isolate the sick birds to limit infections.
Piggery project
Kansiime started rearing pigs in 2000 with two piglets bought a sh100,000. At the time, he had no pigsty and a tree shade provided shelter for the piglets. However, he later built a four-stance temporary structure at sh250,000. He has since expanded to 20 units, holding 100 pigs and piglets, including 20 sows, one boar and 72 piglets. He rears the large white and comborough pig breeds. Kansiime explains, “These are good breeds for farmers as the sows give a large litter of above 10 piglets each time they produce. They also have demand among farmers and pork dealers.”
The multi-enterprise farmer sells a one-month-old piglet at sh100,000, while sows range from sh650,000 to sh1.5m (for 200kg) each, depending on size and breed. He earns about sh5m from the piggery unit every five months from selling piglets.
Interdependence
The projects have a symbiotic relationship and support each other in many ways. For instance, the manure and urine from the pigs is used in pastures and vegetables that feed the cows and birds, respectively. The bird droppings are ‘processed’ and fed to the pigs.
When one of the projects is not bringing in good cash, the money from the other units keeps it running, says Stella Kyomuhangi,Kansiime’s wife, who is the operations manager of sorts.
To ensure efficiency, each of the three projects – poultry, piggery and dairy – is manned by one permanent worker. Permanent staff on the farm earn sh100,000 per month each and have other incentives like free food and accommodation.
Gains
Kansiime has over 72 acres of land. Piggery and poultry units occupy an acre of land each while 60 acres of land have been dedicated to the dairy project, the rest is under banana and coffee production and family home. Part of this land (12 acres) was inherited from his father. He bought 50 acres over the years using savings from the farming projects.
Kyomuhangi says the enterprises have enabled them to cater for the family’s essential and other needs and pay school fees for their children with ease. We have also bought five plots and built one commercial building in Igororo town, adds Kyomuhangi.
Family involvement
Kyomuhangi says openness and trust between couples especially on money matters and embracing the saving culture were crucial for such ventures to be sustainable. She urges women to support their husbands and get involved in the running of the enterprise.
In that regard, she supervises the workers and also caters their welfare to “ensure they are more productive”.
She advises employers to always guide the workers and provide for them, where possible, saying this boosts their morale and productivity.
“Some workers will neglect their duties when they are not supervised. This can be costly in case of disease outbreak or poor feeding.”
Sharon Natukunda, Kansiime’s daughter, has used the time schools are closed to get immersed in the running of the farm.
“I take care of the animals in case workers are not around, including treating them. I also manage the business “since I have learnt from my father how things work”.
His son, Duncan Matsikois considered the ‘resident expert’ for the poultry project. He also oversees the birds’ feeding, watering and general welfare. He says the birds are given feeds, mainly mash or maize bran twice a day. There must always be water in the drinkers, adds Matsiko who will be joining university soon.
“I ensure that the sick birds are isolated and treated,” he adds.
Bio-safety and security
a) There is a footbath at entrances to the bird houses and the pigsty to stop spread of diseases that could be carried in footwear.
b) The farmer also has two bulldogs that help to keep away intruders on the farm.
c) He has also used solar-powered floodlights at night to strengthen his security at night.
d) The farm is also accessible from one entrance, which restricts trespassers.
Mistakes & lessons learnt
Kansiime says when he started the poultry unit, he delayed to immunise the chicks leaving scores dead.
Poor treatment regimen for the cows was one of the mistakes made in dairy production unit.
“I learnt the hard way that full immunization and hygiene were important for birds. Now I consult vets in case the animals and birds are sick.”
Community support
Kansiime provides a steady market for Napier grass from the community to make silage for the cows, according to Apollo Agaba, assistant veterinary officer Igorora town council.
They also sell him fodder crops. The workers at the farm are also from the community. The residents get quality breeds for cattle and pigs from within their community, thanks to Kansiime.
“I have learnt a lot from him given his hands-on approach to doing work.”
Water harvesting
Water is a treasured resource at Kansiime’s farm. To ensure reliable and uninterrupted water supply for the pigs, chickens and cows, the farmer has so far built six underground water reservoirs to harvest rain water, holding a total of over 300,000 litres of water between them. “He never runs out of water for enterprises. This (rain water harvesting) should be promoted among residents for sustainable commercial agriculture production,” says Igorora town council extension staff Agaba.
Value addition
Kansiime has a machine to make chicken feeds, especially maize bran. He also has a silage making machine. Both of these plants are powered by a generator.
“This has enabled me to cut operational costs and ensure quality,” he says.
Looking ahead
Kansiime is planning to expand the poultry project to around 5,000 birds to take advantage of the growing market for the kroiler eggs.
He also plans to make the dairy section fully zero-grazing. He argues that cows under the zero grazing produce more milk, if they are well fed.
He is seeking to acquire micro-irrigation equipment to support his ventures, especially growing of fodder and chicken feeds.
The family plans to develop more agro-tourism products besides farmer training.
Counsel to fellow farmers
- Get involved in all farm activities and supervise the workers to guard against lapses that could compromise feeding routines and treatment regimens and hence expose animals to health risks.
- Ensure proper feeding for good milk production.
- Consult vets in case of disease outbreaks and any other health challenges at the farm.
- Select good breeds.
What they say about Kansiime
Louis Nabimanya, community member
Kansimehas inspired some residents of Ntungamo village to embrace commercial crop production. The farm also works as training centre for livestock production for the community, especially on poultry, piggery and dairy farming.
Tito Mugabe, the Rwenkobwa town council agriculture officer
I commend Kansiime for encouraging and training all his children on how to manage the enterprises. This ensures sustainability and continuity of the ventures. It also creates a multiplier effect as the children can interest their friends to embrace agribusiness.
