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At a farm in Unity Kayole area, Naivasha Damaris Njoki Kamau is busy feeding her pigs.

The venture that started three years ago has turned out more  successful than she ever expected.

Njoki was inspired to start pig farming when she visited a farmer in Kandara, Muranga County in 2018 who explained to here how pig rearing is a quick money making venture.

At the time she had applied for a loan with Youth Enterprise Fund to fund a gas cylinder business she was running with her husband.

After securing  Sh1.5 million from the institution , Njoki decided to diversify into pig farming.

“When I  applied for the loan I shared with my husband about my intention to start pig farming and he agreed and even went ahead to hire a mason to construct a spacious and accommodative shed.

“I bought three female piglets from a friend. After 10 months I had 30 piglets,” says Njoki.

She used the money to finance the gas cylinder business and set aside Sh200, 000 to invest in pig farming.

Her decision to start pig farming was also informed by dip in revenues from her gas cylinder business owing to stiff competition and application of new regulations by the government to tame illegal gas cylinder suppliers in the market.  

Ready market

Currently she has two lactating sows and two pregnant ones. Njoki was fortunate to secure a contract with Farmers Choice Company located in Kahawa West in the outskirts of Nairobi.

The company is among other slaughter houses including Lytano in Nairobi, Ndumboini in Kiambu, Kabati in Murang’a County that buy pigs from farmers. 

The companies’ demands adherence to quality standards which Njoki confirmed been  observing. 

She both sells one to two months piglets at Sh2, 500 and Sh4, 000 piglets respectively to local farmers.

But she sells mature pigs of more than 80 kilogrammes each to Farmers Choice Company twice a year.

Other times, she sells pregnant sows to local farmers at between Sh25, 000 to Sh30, 000.

Due to popularity of pork products like ham, bacon, sausages and burgers, Njoki and other farmers’ have ready markets and thus sell pigs to companies that deal in such products.

Given the lucrative nature of pig farming Njoki was able to service her loan fully even before the stipulated deadline.

“I was supposed to pay back within a period of five years but I was able to repay the same in 18 months due to to the impressive returns from the venture.

Since then I have equally ventured in dairy farming where every day I supply 30 litres to Sidian bank and Unaitas Sacco for office use every day,” she says.

Loan re-payment

YEDF acting CEO Benson Muthendi states that Njoki has disabused the notion that young people are not interested in agriculture. 

“She has demonstrated to us that once determined, a young person can excel in farming.

Out of the total loans we advance every year, a third of the same goes to agribusiness activities,” said Mr. Muthendi. 

For example, he confirmed in the last financial year, Sh153 million was advanced to finance agribusiness activities out of Sh460 million total loans.

“We have not had challenges of default from the young people we have advanced loans, to” he added. 

Njoki feeds her pigs on swine winner feeds with each animal  expected to consume 4-6 bags before maturity.

Most small scale farmers feed pigs on other materials and food leftovers which affects growth and leads to increase of fat and thus deny the farmer high prices in the local market. 

Feeding them on commercial feeds Njoki says, is critical as it protects them against diseases. 

Diversification

She ensures the pigs are clean throughout and out of bounds to strangers to avoid spread of diseases. 

Additionally, she fumigates their surroundings frequently.  On top of the pig sheds, she is planning to put up poultry structures and use chicken droppings to feed the pigs.

She is also planning to expand the pig family to have 10 mothers at any given time. 

Lack of quality feeds in the market Njoki notes is the main challenge with pig farming thus affecting productivity.

“There are so many Agrovet shops selling adulterated feeds.  Further, the farm worker is not able to feed the pigs according to specifications,” says Njoki.

Feeds from the established millers in the country are expensive.  She plans to venture into farming full time by expanding pig, dairy and poultry farming.

She is targeting to have a minimum of 10 sows as well as daily cows that can produce between 35 litres and 40 litres per day. This is in addition to starting a Kienyeji chicken project.