How couple built 300-goat farm

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For the tenth year running, Vision Group, together with the Embassy of the Netherlands, KLM Airlines, dfcu Bank and Koudijs Animal Nutrition, is running the Best Farmers Competition. The 2025 competition runs from April to November, with the awards in December. Every week, Vision Group platforms are publishing profi les of the farmers. Winners will walk away with sh150m and a fully paid-for trip to the Netherlands.

What began as a frustrating search for authentic Boer goats has turned into a transformative journey for Vincent Museke and Penelope Twesigye Museke.

The couple defied deception, overcame technical hurdles and built Gracemo Pure Boer Goat Breeding Farm — a 35-acre hub in Pallisa district that is now drawing attention from farmers, scholars and agricultural innovators across the region.

Established in 2022 in Bupodoi, Kanginima sub-county, the farm boasts 326 pure Boer goats, making it one of the largest dedicated Boer breeding centres in Uganda.

Importing parent stock

The Musekes’ dream began with importing parent stock from South Africa to fill a nationwide gap in quality goat breeds.

“Farmers are desperate to improve their breeds to fetch high market prices. We saw an opportunity to create a local breeding centre that supplies resilient, high-quality goats,” Museke explains.

The couple started with 17 goats from CVS-Boerdery Pty Ltd in Gauteng, South Africa, which arrived at Entebbe Airport in November 17, 2022.

The shipment included 15 one-year-old females and two 14-month-old males. A second batch of 45 goats followed in June 3, 2023 from Karooos, a region spanning Free State and Northern Cape.

However, the journey was far from smooth. The South African breeders refused to share feeding and drug protocols.

“Finding the right dietary and drug formula was a nightmare. Conventional drugs did not work, and we had to consult multiple nutritionists and run lab tests. It was costly, but we did not give up,” recalls Penelope.

Farm manager Denis Kirya, a qualified livestock production officer, adds: “Feeding them was trial and error and the goats became weak. Fortunately, we eventually discovered the right combination of feed and medication.”

The couple built Gracemo Pure Boer Goat Breeding Farm — a 35-acre hub in Pallisa district.

Their perseverance paid off. Today, Gracemo produces pure Boer goats well-adapted to Uganda’s climate.

The boer goat advantage

Unlike many hybrid goat farms that pamper imported stock keeping them on raised wooden structures, Gracemo’s goats live and sleep on bare ground.

“We chose this setup to help the goats adapt and become resilient. Our Boer goats can survive anywhere in the country,” says Museke, who works in Iraq. Boer goats are prized for their productivity.

They often produce twins or triplets, with kids weighing 3.5kg–4kg at birth (up to 6kg for singles). By three months, kids weigh at least 20kg.

Males reach over 80kg at 12 months, while females mature at eight months weighing 45–55 kg. The farm is already attracting clients from Uganda and neighbouring countries.

“We have not broken even yet, but the farm is covering its overheads — drugs, feeds, and wages,” Museke notes.

Why goats?

Goats are multi-purpose animals, reared for meat, milk and hides. In Africa, they are often called the “poor man’s cow.”

“One does not need vast land to rear goats. All it takes is planting nutritious fodder along boundaries. Goats’ needs are minimal, yet they can rescue families in times of crisis — whether paying school fees or medical bills,” Penelope explains.

She stresses that goat farming is scalable: “A humble one can start small. With multiple births, the enterprise can blossom quickly. Promoting goat farming is part of the campaign to overcome poverty that still lingers in our communities.”

Additionally, the Musekes see Boer goats as a significant commercial opportunity in Uganda, East Africa and the Middle East, where demand for meat and breeding stock is high.

“Right now, our focus is on building numbers before going into full-scale sales. We have allowed modest sales to cover overheads, but soon the farm gates will open wide for bulk buyers,” Museke says.

Prices are negotiable depending on sex and age.

Building the farm

Before importing goats, the Musekes first purchased land. Today, the farm employs six workers, each earning sh200,000 per month.

Mistakes have been part of the learning curve. Kirya recalls one painful incident when a juvenile male sneaked into a pen of young females and impregnated two. Both mothers and their kids later died due to obstructed labour.

“To this day, I still feel guilty. If someone had been around, we might have saved them,” he says.

Manure enterprise

With over 300 goats, Gracemo generates substantial manure, which has become a valuable by-product. Mixed with leftover feed, it is sold to farmers, especially in the Elgon sub-region for Arabica coffee and in Teso for soil fertility restoration.

“We sell a small truckload at sh300,000,” says Penelope.

The farm also uses manure to rejuvenate its own land.

Best practices

Gracemo follows strict livestock management standards. Goats are catalogued by generation and sex. From three months, males and females are separated to prevent premature conception.

“Male goats develop hormones early, but serving females before eight months risks weak offspring and obstructed labour,” Kirya explains.

Feeding is carefully managed. While Boer diets resemble those of local goats, they are precisely measured to ensure balance.

Fodder includes calliandra, napier, and elephant grass, supplemented with maize bran, sunflower cake and soya. Importantly, fodder is dried before feeding to prevent disease.

Kids are introduced to pellets at two weeks. The farm relies on solar power for lighting and harvests rainwater into large tanks for use during dry spells.

The farm is fitted with surveillance cameras and enforces strict bio-security. No visitor enters without sanitisation.

At the same time, Gracemo maintains good relations with the local community by hiring them for odd jobs like weeding fodder fields and chopping grass.

Boer goats are naturally resilient, but worms remain a major threat. Conventional dewormers failed, so the farm developed a custom drug combination after extensive lab tests.

A strict schedule is followed: adults are dewormed every three months in dry seasons and every two months in rainy ones, while kids begin at one month until six months.

Achievements

For the Musekes, success begins with passion and continuous learning.

“Allow yourself to explore more about the enterprise and always yearn for new knowledge, even if it comes at a cost,” says Vincent.

Their commitment has built a strong technical team led by farm manager Kirya, who frequently trains in South Africa.

Gracemo now attracts 10–15 students and researchers monthly, becoming a hub for knowledge exchange. Hundreds of local farmers have improved their herds through cross-breeding with Gracemo males, while the community also benefits from donated nutritious goat meat.

Challenges

Despite progress, Boer goats are sensitive to diet. Feeding errors can reduce fertility or even kill kids. Yet the Musekes remain ambitious: they plan to expand to 5,000 pure Boers and venture into cattle and sheep breeding.

Kirya will undergo advanced training in artificial insemination and embryo transfer to support this vision.

“Our goal is to transform Gracemo into a centre of excellence for livestock genetics,” says Vincent.

Plans

The Musekes envision expanding their herd to 5,000 pure Boer goats. They also plan to venture into cow and sheep breeding.

To support this vision, arrangements are underway to send Kirya to South Africa for advanced training in artificial insemination and embryo transfer.

“Our goal is to transform Gracemo into a centre of excellence for livestock genetics,” says Vincent.

Background

Vincent Museke was born 45 years ago to Siprian Musumba, now deceased, and Doloka Kasumba of Kachomo, in Budaka district.

He attended Kachomo Primary School, Iki-Iki Secondary School, and Nakasero SSS before earning a law degree from Makerere University and a master’s from the University of South Africa.

He works as a legal offi cer with the United Nations Support Mission in Iraq. Penelope Twesigye Museke, Born 38 years ago to Edson Kamutonda and Harriet Kafeeza of Itembe, Sheema district.

She went to Nganwa Junior School, Isha Girls, and Valley College before pursuing biomedical sciences at Makerere University. She holds a master’s degree from Amity University in India. The couple has three children.