Talk about modern dairy farming in Kenya and anyone who knows Lelgut Farm will quickly point you to Olenguruone, Nakuru County, where the farm is located. The farm lies on a 15-acre piece of land, most of which is arable and has now been put under fodder crops. Lelgut Farm was started by Wesley Kibet Ngeno and his wife Rose Ngeno in October 2010. The success that the two have had from their farming speaks of what a profitable business dairy farming in Kenya can be if only taken seriously.
Wesley and Rose are graduates and if you happen to listen to them and watch what they are doing, you would quickly guess that they specialized in an agriculture related course at the university. The truth will shock you. Wesley holds a bachelors degree in commerce while Rose is a Certified Public accountant. What propelled them into establishing one of the most successful dairy farms in Kenya is nothing but pure passion. “My wife and I are very passionate about farming and in 2010, we decided that it was time to pursue our passion and make use of the 15-acre land given to us by my farther”, says Wesley.
How profitable is Lelgut Farm today?
Both being graduates of Strathmore University, Wesley and Rose could easily get jobs and live a very decent live. However, the two have never thought of being employed since they started dairy farming. In fact, they are very happy that instead of looking for employment, they have become employers. They believe that dairy farming in Kenya is the one business that the youths can get into and forget seeking employment. Lelgut Farm has since expanded and diversified its activities into poultry farming, goat keeping and crop farming.
Out of the 15 acres of land on which the farm stands, two acres are on Napier grass, two acres are on Oats, another two acres on maize used to make silage, an acre for Boma Rhodes and another one is covered by natural forest. The farm also grows Nandi Seteria, Desmodium, Lucerne, all occupying about 1.5 acres. The remaining piece of land is under natural grass on which the animals can graze freely.
Wesley’s advice on dairy farming in Kenya
While dairy farming is a lucrative business in the 21st century, one must lay a good foundation for it to be successful. Wesley advices that before you buy the cows, build their sheds or even think of where to sell your produce, you should know where the feeds for the cows will come from. Good feeds take time to develop and even if you would rely on the commercial dairy feeds, you should be careful to identify credible suppliers as feeds play the most important role in dairy farming.
