Former printer turns fodder farming into thriving multinational agricultural enterprise

To have 100 hectares of land under your name is a feat a majority of Kenyans would only dream about. And to put the same acreage solely under animal feed production is something many would take a second thought about before trying.

Yet this is precisely what Mr Githaiga Kihara did after closing down his printing business in Nairobi a decade ago.

Today he is grateful for taking this seemingly unpopular decision. When we visited one of his farms at Chorong’i village in Nyeri Central sub-county, we were met by an army of workers preparing Napier cuttings for sale.

Here, just like in his other farms in Nyeri, you will find workers either harvesting nappier cuttings or preparing fodder for the local market or for export to other countries.

 Here one comes across neatly tendered rows and bushes of Australian napper grass (pennisetum purpureum), Guinea grass (panicum siambasa), Guatemala grass, juceo grass (cenchrus fungigraminus), super k vine and signal grass (branchairia basilisik) and Nacedero (trichantera giganthera ).

It’s from these fodder species that Kihara has carved a name for himself locally and also globally.

“I started this enterprise about ten years ago in Gakindu, Mukurwe-ini sub-county, out of a need because I had some dairy goats which did not have enough feed. When I did some research, I realised that I could get better feed and I went for it,” he told KNA at the farm.

Mr. Kihara started off by planting signal grass with help from the then Kenya Agriculture Research Institute (now KALRO) station at Katumani in Machakos.

It is this single trial which eventually opened a floodgate for the introduction of other fodder species such as Australian Red nappier which has become a key product in his enterprise.

Today, his farm is exporting red Napier cuttings to farmers in 12 other African countries, including Nigeria, Congo and Sierra Leone.

But this breakthrough, according to him, could not have been possible without employing social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and TikTok, where the business goes by the tag name Moo Fodder Supermarket.

“When I started posting my products on my Facebook page, people started making enquiries, and it became a business. This went on and on until I got what I can call a breakthrough when I got an order of one million splits,” he narrates.

Having succeeded in getting his first clients, Kihara went further and sourced another variety of fodder and introduced the Super nappier which he attests did quite well.

He also used this expertise to sensitise the neighbouring communities on the need to grow their own fodder for their livestock as one way of improving productivity and cutting down dependence on commercial feeds that cost heavily.

Today, his efforts have paid off handsomely, with effects reverberating in virtually all counties in the form of silage or cuttings to individual farmers.

But from all the animal feeds on his farms, none has done exploits like the Australian Red nappier which has become a darling for many.

However, that does not lessen the importance of other feed crops such as juanca grass and nacedero, which have been in high demand due to their high protein content and ability to ward off livestock diseases.

For instance, a cow that fails to release the placenta after giving birth only needs to be fed nacedero leaves to cure the complication.

“The Australian red Napier, which is also known as the Australian purple Napier, has also taken farmers by storm across the country. We have also sold it to other countries and I can say it is doing good.

Most of these products are good because of their high crude protein. For instance, the Australian Red nappier has the highest crude protein product among all the nappiers in this country. The crude protein in Australian red napier is between 20 to 24 per cent,” explained Kihara.

Apart from its high nutritive value, Australian Red nappier is unrivalled in terms of productivity. For instance, a single acre of land can yield between 180 to 200 metric tonnes (MT)  of biomass in a single year. Besides, it has a high growth rate compared to traditional napper varieties, where one can start harvesting his first crop between 45 to 60 days after planting.

 Besides selling cuttings, Kihara also specialises in silage preparation, with the bulk of this product going to dry and far-flung counties such as those in the former North Frontier District and parts of Rift Valley. However, some of the silage is also sold to local farmers for use in feeding their animals during the dry season.

 A 70-kilogram bale of silage goes for around Sh 1,050 and can last for as long as three years if stored under the  recommended conditions. On the other hand, a single split of red nappier goes for Sh50 for retail purchases and Sh15 for those buying in bulk. However, a client has room to negotiate depending on the number of cuttings one needs.

“We usually do silage for Super nappier but we are yet to start for the red nappier. We have about 75 hectares in Mweiga where we are doing silage. Out of that we have established outlets where we do our sales. We started with this one here along the Ruring’u-Kiandu road and then went to Gatitu, Karatina, Chaka Milimani and Sasini. We are also planning to establish another farm in Othaya opposite the Deputy County Commissioner’s office in the coming days,” he added.

Besides selling animal feeds, the farm also trains individuals and groups on best farm practices for growing fodder. The farm has also opened employment opportunities for many youths who work as marketers on a part-time basis.

A dozen other workers serve on a daily basis in tending the farms, while others are often called upon to work as casuals during the harvesting and packaging of splits for sale.

“Our market is on social media since it’s the largest marketing platform in this world. It is the place where you get to meet people from diverse places. Here we get customers even from Diaspora-Kenyans living in the UK, the US, Switzerland and Canada. Customers can then make their orders and then send their money either using Western Union or Send Wave before we fly their products to their various destinations,” explained Kihara.

As we concluded our visit at the farm, it was clear Moo Farm Supermarket will remain the main investment for this former printer for many years unless another goldmine opens up.

 For now, he is content to continue working in the farms, rearing fodder for animals, while the rest of the country grows food crops to feed the nation.

Kihara is also grateful that farming has enabled him not only to take care of his family but also to empower the immediate community into becoming their own masters by tilling the land.

“This enterprise has given me a lot of money. I have never seen any other business which can potentially give you the kind of money this fodder business has given me. I have been able to educate my three kids up to university level and I am happy they are doing productive work without bothering me,” he said as we wrapped our visit.

“I have also been able to build a house and I am now planning to build another one for my retirement in Mukurwe-ini. We have also been able to buy land besides importing two silage balers from China, still using proceeds from this business,” he summed up

By Samuel Maina and Stephen Nderito