Fresh from the Coop: Real Farmer Spills the Beans on What’s Working Kwa Ground

Hi Meshers!

We’re back with fresh insights on starting a small agribusiness. This week we’re focussing on the chicken biz.

We’re getting the info straight from the source. We caught up with Rosa, a local farmer who’s killing it in the chicken business. And the gems she dropped? Pure gold.

If you prefer this as a video - watch it here.

Read her story.

Hello meshers. Mimi naitwa Rosa Nyaga. I’m a poultry farmer located in Ngong, a place called Kibiku

We didn’t start actually like a business. So tulianza kama njia tu ya… badala ya kununua tuwe tuko na kuku wetu ambao tumejifugia.

Siku moja kuna mtu alinipigia. Alikua na shida kidogo, na alikua anataka kuniuzia kuku. Alikua na kuku moja alikua ameagua vifaranga kumi na mmjoja.

Hatukua na nyumba ata ya kuku. Tulikuja tukamueka kitchen, akakaa kitchen kwa wiki moja, ndio tukaita mtu akakuja akatutengenezea nyumba ya kuku.

Tukaona ni vizuri hii siku, tutengeneze nyumba kubwa kidogo ndio I-accomodate huyu kuku mmoja na Kifaranga, na tulete wengine.

Io wiki ndio tulienda tukanunua vifaranga wengine kumi tukaweka pamoja na wale, wakendelea kugrow, na kutoka io siku hatujawai stop. Tuliendelea tu kuongezea kuongezea kuku.

So mwenye aliniuzia aliniuzia huyo kuku elfu moja mia tano.

Siku tulikuja kujengea huyo kuku, tulikua na mbao kidogo na chuma, kwa hivyo ile kitu tulifanya tuliita fundi, ambaye kwa io siku, kufanya io kazi siku mzima akiwa na msaidizi wake walaitulipisha elfu tatu, na walikuja na machine yao ile ya kuchomelea.

Ile kitu tulinunua tu ilikua misumari na mabati. So cost ya hio siku ndio tujengee huyo kuku mmoja ilikua ni cost kama kama elfu tano ivi sababu materials zingine tulikua nazo nyumbani.

Alafu ndio nipate io captial io time nilikua nafanya kazi — na ilikua almost end month. Tuseme kununua ile kuku na kulipa huyo mtu wa kujenga, kununua mabati moja mbili, yote ilinicost around 7000.

Do you want a different perspective on kukus? Check out Wangui’s journey into the kuku world of chicken farming.

Customer wa kwanza walikua majirani. Siku moja jirani alikuja akapata wale kuku wamekua wakubwa kidogo na akaniuliza “nataka kuku kienyeji. Unaweza jua mahali nitapata huyo kuku?”

Nikamwambia tuko na kuku kadhaa hapa unaweza kuja uangalie. Akachukua kuku mmoja, na akaenda naye.

Halafu kutoka apo huyo customer alini-refer three other customers wenye wamekua — hadi leo — wanakuja wanachukua kuku.

Mmoja Ananiambiaga “nichinjie kuku wawili nitatumanie”. So referral ni njia moja ya kupata customer.

Pili, word of mouth. Unaenda ukiambia watu mkiongea —- ata colleagues. Niko na colleagues wenye nilikua nafanya kazi nao hadi jana walininunulia kuku.

Unaongea na watu unawaambia “niko na kuku ninauza, nauza hii bei” na unawaambia ni kuku mgani.

Kitu ingine ni kuingia kwa groups za farmers — WhatsApp groups. Like now nina-expect some customers wenye wamesema watafika hapa anytime today.

Hao customers wawili nimewapata kwa WhatsApp groups. So ni vizuri unajiunga na Whatsap groups za watu wale wanafanya kazi kama ile unafanya.

Ile platform ingine nimekua nikitumia sana sana sana for information purposes na kuongea na wale wanafanya kazi kama hii yangu ni group ya farmers kwa MESH.

Nimekua nikipost alot of information watu wana… they reply, they ask questions…

So that’s another part of engagement, ndio uweze kupata customers.

Stay tuned for part two of the interview!

Check out Wangui’s journey into the kuku world of chicken farming.