Susan Chesyna: How I make Sh. 10,000 daily from green house, dairy and chicken farming

I became a farmer eight years ago after I relocated from Baringo to Nakuru County and settled at Kiamunyi, in Rongai.

When I arrived in the county, where I had earlier bought land, I could not stop marvelling at its beauty. The land was fertile and the crops were growing well unlike in Baringo, where erratic rains and drought were regular.....

I began with planting maize on about five acres of my 10-acre farm.

Seven months later, I harvested 30 bags. I was happy then, but I later realised I had incurred a huge loss.

After deducting cost of seeds, labour and fertiliser, I realised I had made about Sh80,000, yet I had spent over Sh100,000.
I did not despair. In fact, I thank the loss because it opened my eyes. It made me realise that I should not depend on maize alone.

So the next year, I decided to diversify into tomato farming. I took a Sh100,000 loan from a bank in Nakuru, built a greenhouse and prepared it for growing tomatoes.

Greenhouse

Construction of the greenhouse took 80 per cent of the loan, but it was not much compared to seeking the services from a company.
I built the greenhouse myself using ordinary poles and some polythene materials I bought from a shop in Nakuru.

I was working under the direction of an agricultural officer.

Many farmers believe they must go for the commercial greenhouse, which costs upwards of Sh300,000. You can build your own as long as you get the design right and the materials. My greenhouse measures 12 by 24 metres. I first planted tomatoes.

Tomatoes do well in greenhouses because you control the temperature, protect them from pests like butterflies and when you apply pesticides, they are effective.

I harvested the tomatoes after three months and took them to several supermarkets in Nakuru town, about 10km away.
I could not believe it when later the cheques I collected from the supermarket added up to Sh450,000.

I was selling 2kg of the tomatoes at Sh200. I had harvested over 2,000kg. I remember clearly when I went for my cheques after the supermarkets that include Ukwala and Gilanis in Nakuru called me. I was shocked.