This archive report was first published on 24 August 2019.
On a sunny day in Trans Nzoia County, Samuel Kimani's pig farm is a testament to the power of entrepreneurship and innovation. The former teacher, who quit his job 12 years ago to venture into pig farming, has built a thriving business that has farrowed a hotel business.
Kimani's two-acre farm in Matunda hosts over 300 animals, kept in three huge sties with eight units each. Each pigsty measures 25 by 15ft and hosts some 100 animals of the Landrace and Large White breeds at different stages of growth.
He started with two sows that he bought at Sh35,000 each from Farmers Choice and built a sty to host them, with the venture gobbling up over Sh150,000 capital. Today, Kimani slaughters 30 to 50 pigs from his farm a month, with a kilo going for Sh300.
Kimani's success in pig farming has not gone unnoticed. Trans Nzoia County Agriculture executive Mary Nzomo notes that pig rearing offers massive opportunity for farmers in the region as maize growing faces several hurdles.
“Currently, our pig population is 7,000 and this is because pig rearing is not popular to farmers due to lack of market and reliance on maize,” she says.
Kimani's journey into pig farming has been a rewarding one. He has employed two workers and their work starts at 6am dairy, where they clean the pigsties and do the first feeding at 9am. The second feeding session is at 3pm, so generally they feed them twice in a day.
“The stench on the farm also depends on the feeds one offers the animals and how waste is disposed of. Pigs are not dirty animals,” notes Joseph Kehio, one of the farm workers.
Kimani's decision to quit teaching was not taken lightly. He served for 17 years before making the switch, but he has no regrets. “I quit after serving for 17 years in search of greener pastures. I have no doubt I will remain a pig farmer for life, thanks to the good returns from this business,” he says.
