Najjuma earns sh74m from poultry annually
Jan 13, 2010
DONNING a blue apron bearing an inscription “Najjuma Poultry Farm,†she struggles to find her feet as she carries poultry feeds on a trough cut out of a jerry can. This is Grace Najjuma, Kakukulu village’s model poultry farmer in Kasawo sub-county, Mukono.
BY JOEL OGWANG
DONNING a blue apron bearing an inscription “Najjuma Poultry Farm,†she struggles to find her feet as she carries poultry feeds on a trough cut out of a jerry can. This is Grace Najjuma, Kakukulu village’s model poultry farmer in Kasawo sub-county, Mukono.
“I am happy with what God gave me,†Najjuma says happily.
With a humble beginning of 50 local birds in 2002, Najjuma only dreamt of owning hundreds of birds.
To date, she owns 600 layers, 650 local birds and 1, 000 local chicks on an acre of land. The layers are six months-old while the four-month old local chicks are currently in a brooder.
“I am starting to realise my dream,†she says with a broad smile.
Revenue in-flow
“I get eight trays of eggs daily,†she says. This translates to 240 trays a month. At sh5, 000 a tray, Najjuma earns sh40, 000 a day selling the eggs. On average, she gets sh14.4m a year from eggs alone. She also earns sh6.2m a month from selling chicken which adds up to sh74.4m a year. She usually sells off-layers and keeps the parent stock. During this past Christmas season, she sold over 400 chicken.
On average, Najjuma says, she earns around sh74m after deducting operational costs like the chicken mash, wages, vaccines and fuel transport for her pickup which consumes sh30,000 of fuel whenever she uses it for the deliveries.
Her net earnings fluctuate annually, she adds, and sometimes they are much higher than the sh74m or less.
This usually depends on the events that have happened during the year with regards to outbreaks of chicken diseases or hikes in fuel prices or food stuffs, which in turn affect the price of feeds.
Her growth from a simple farmer to a commercial entity recently earned her a visit by the parliamentary committee on finance, led by Honourable Charles Oleny Ojok, the deputy chairman of the committee .
The legislators were on a tour to ascertain the success of SACCOs in rural communities of Uganda.
“Many people should follow her example,†said Oleny.
Achievements
Banking on proceeds from her poultry enterprise, Najjuma has built a house and bought a pick-up truck to enhance the transportation of eggs and chicken to her customers. She currently employs three people, one of whom is a security guard.
“But the money aside, I have gained tremendous experience in poultry farming,†she says. Najjuma regularly receives visitors who come to learn from her success story.
“I want to transfer the knowledge I have to as many people,†she says. “It doesn’t help to boast of being the only ‘bull’ in the kraal.â€
The road to prosperity
Najjuma attributes her growth to the numerous trainings on commercialising her enterprise which she got.
When Najjuma joined the poultry fray, she had 50 local birds. Along the road, she managed to build a structure to widen her enterprise.
She then bought 1, 500 layers. “They grew and started giving me eggs that I could sell and hatch,†she says.
The eggs end up at Kabimbiri, Kasawo, Kayunga and even Kampala while the chicken are sold to hotels and restaurants in Mukono and Kayunga districts. Owing to her instant success, Najjuma thought she had achieved enough and needed no expansion. But a training about savings that was conducted by Kasawo-Namuganga SACCO (KANASACCO) broadened her view.
KANASACCO offers 80% of its loans to agriculture and the rest to commercial enterprises. Najjuma opened up an account with them and embarked on saving proceeds from her project. She later acquired a sh500, 000 loan in 2006 to boost her business.
“I was afraid of taking the loan,†she says. “But I soon realised the fears people have about loans are not necessary if one works hard to repay them,†she said.
Najjuma repaid her loan on time and doubled her claim in 2007. She repaid the latter after 12 months. The loan enabled her buy 2, 000 layers as her market had expanded.
Challenges
The global crisis has resulted in hikes of the cost of feeds and drugs. There is also the threat posed by chicken pox and other diseases.
“Vaccinating the birds is another problem,†she says. “I have to travel to Kampala to get good drugs.â€
She hopes to get more money in loans but is limited by the amounts KANASACCO provides.
Future plans
Najjuma intends to stock 3, 000 more layers and 3, 000 local birds in the next 12-months. She also intends to supply NAADS scheme with quality birds, if her proposal is considered.
Fact File
Name: Grace Najjuma
Project: Poultry is the biggest project. She also has cassava and bananas for domestic use.
Location: Kakukulu village, Kasawo sub-county, Mukono
Contact: 0772 310 206
DONNING a blue apron bearing an inscription “Najjuma Poultry Farm,†she struggles to find her feet as she carries poultry feeds on a trough cut out of a jerry can. This is Grace Najjuma, Kakukulu village’s model poultry farmer in Kasawo sub-county, Mukono.
“I am happy with what God gave me,†Najjuma says happily.
With a humble beginning of 50 local birds in 2002, Najjuma only dreamt of owning hundreds of birds.
To date, she owns 600 layers, 650 local birds and 1, 000 local chicks on an acre of land. The layers are six months-old while the four-month old local chicks are currently in a brooder.
“I am starting to realise my dream,†she says with a broad smile.
Revenue in-flow
“I get eight trays of eggs daily,†she says. This translates to 240 trays a month. At sh5, 000 a tray, Najjuma earns sh40, 000 a day selling the eggs. On average, she gets sh14.4m a year from eggs alone. She also earns sh6.2m a month from selling chicken which adds up to sh74.4m a year. She usually sells off-layers and keeps the parent stock. During this past Christmas season, she sold over 400 chicken.
On average, Najjuma says, she earns around sh74m after deducting operational costs like the chicken mash, wages, vaccines and fuel transport for her pickup which consumes sh30,000 of fuel whenever she uses it for the deliveries.
Her net earnings fluctuate annually, she adds, and sometimes they are much higher than the sh74m or less.
This usually depends on the events that have happened during the year with regards to outbreaks of chicken diseases or hikes in fuel prices or food stuffs, which in turn affect the price of feeds.
Her growth from a simple farmer to a commercial entity recently earned her a visit by the parliamentary committee on finance, led by Honourable Charles Oleny Ojok, the deputy chairman of the committee .
The legislators were on a tour to ascertain the success of SACCOs in rural communities of Uganda.
“Many people should follow her example,†said Oleny.
Achievements
Banking on proceeds from her poultry enterprise, Najjuma has built a house and bought a pick-up truck to enhance the transportation of eggs and chicken to her customers. She currently employs three people, one of whom is a security guard.
“But the money aside, I have gained tremendous experience in poultry farming,†she says. Najjuma regularly receives visitors who come to learn from her success story.
“I want to transfer the knowledge I have to as many people,†she says. “It doesn’t help to boast of being the only ‘bull’ in the kraal.â€
The road to prosperity
Najjuma attributes her growth to the numerous trainings on commercialising her enterprise which she got.
When Najjuma joined the poultry fray, she had 50 local birds. Along the road, she managed to build a structure to widen her enterprise.
She then bought 1, 500 layers. “They grew and started giving me eggs that I could sell and hatch,†she says.
The eggs end up at Kabimbiri, Kasawo, Kayunga and even Kampala while the chicken are sold to hotels and restaurants in Mukono and Kayunga districts. Owing to her instant success, Najjuma thought she had achieved enough and needed no expansion. But a training about savings that was conducted by Kasawo-Namuganga SACCO (KANASACCO) broadened her view.
KANASACCO offers 80% of its loans to agriculture and the rest to commercial enterprises. Najjuma opened up an account with them and embarked on saving proceeds from her project. She later acquired a sh500, 000 loan in 2006 to boost her business.
“I was afraid of taking the loan,†she says. “But I soon realised the fears people have about loans are not necessary if one works hard to repay them,†she said.
Najjuma repaid her loan on time and doubled her claim in 2007. She repaid the latter after 12 months. The loan enabled her buy 2, 000 layers as her market had expanded.
Challenges
The global crisis has resulted in hikes of the cost of feeds and drugs. There is also the threat posed by chicken pox and other diseases.
“Vaccinating the birds is another problem,†she says. “I have to travel to Kampala to get good drugs.â€
She hopes to get more money in loans but is limited by the amounts KANASACCO provides.
Future plans
Najjuma intends to stock 3, 000 more layers and 3, 000 local birds in the next 12-months. She also intends to supply NAADS scheme with quality birds, if her proposal is considered.
Fact File
Name: Grace Najjuma
Project: Poultry is the biggest project. She also has cassava and bananas for domestic use.
Location: Kakukulu village, Kasawo sub-county, Mukono
Contact: 0772 310 206