Booming goat business ruffles the feathers of county officials

What you need to know:

  • Soon, the more than 500 goat farmers could not access Artificial Insemination services. That is how Mathenge’s Toggenburg bucks, weighing more than 60kg came in handy.
  • “Where is your licence for the veterinary services? Are you a registered veterinary doctor to administer the service? Have you registered with the county government?” posed Ikwenda.

I envy Mathenge, the top dairy goat farmer in my village. I do not know where he developed his love for goats and their milk but Mathenge is doing well with the animals.

Mathenge, who completed Class Eight when I was joining Class One at Mashambani Primary School, has been rearing 15 animals that produce at least 20 litres of milk daily. If you ask me, that is a not a mean feat.

No one ever took him and his goats seriously until an NGO based in the city funded by one of those ‘development partners’ successfully sold the idea of “One Goat, One Family” project to villagers.

The institution said that goat milk has more than twice the nutrients of cow milk. One herbalist even said the milk cures a myriad of diseases, including the tough ones.

The goat project quickly picked up. The NGO made it easier for farmers by allowing them to take a she-goat each and pay within a year. To sweeten the deal, the NGO had a dairy arm in its management that bought milk from farmers.

NOTHING TO LOSE

If the goat calved, the deal was the farmer keeps half the milk while the NGO takes the rest to repay the loan. In essence, many farmers argued, they had nothing to lose.

But two years down the line, the goat project started experiencing problems. The veterinary services that were regular started getting rare.

Most farmers had by now completed paying for their goats and so the NGO slowly pulled out of the project after its funding period ended. This is very common with donor funded projects that lack exit and sustainability strategy.

Soon, the more than 500 goat farmers could not access Artificial Insemination services. That is how Mathenge’s Toggenburg bucks, weighing more than 60kg came in handy.

Mathenge saw a huge business opportunity and mooted the idea of using his bucks to get some quick cash. He went on a publicity blitz. He printed several posters with the photo of his five bucks.

Each had eight–inch curved horns, white hind legs from the hocks to hooves and white forelegs from the knees downwards.

On the posters, Mathenge wrote; “Get real Toggenburg breeds at friendly prices. Our breeds come from Toggenburg Valley in Switzerland. For both milk and meat. Can be crossed with the Kalahari Red and the Boer from South Africa. Sh1,000 per  session. Please call 0720123*** for immediate service.”

This worked magic. In the first two weeks, business did well. Frustrated farmers came one after another and at one point, he was forced to assign new duties to his herd’s boy, who was handing the animals.

The major challenge was that it was difficult to know if the “service was adequate” after the doe spent half a day in the well-protected pens.
Gikuru, whose two she-goats had broken his fence the previous night, could not be satisfied with the half-a-day service.

HE-GOAT SERVICES

“I want them to spend the night here. The half a day isn’t enough,” complained Gikuru. Because he was bringing two goats at once, Mathenge easily yielded in and allowed his goats to spend the night. Since March, at least four farmers have been seeking his services daily making him rake in Sh4,000. A signboard at his home bears the words, “Eternal He-Goat Services”.

To add value, he has been offering training on dairy goat management. His business was going on well until the county government struck last week.

Matthew Ikwenda, the local veterinary officer, came knocking and threatened to close Mathenge’s illegal business. “Where is your licence for the veterinary services? Are you a registered veterinary doctor to administer the service? Have you registered with the county government?” posed Ikwenda.

He wasn’t through. “Have your animals been vaccinated against sexually transmitted diseases? Have the she-goats that are brought here vaccinated from similar diseases? These offences attract Sh100,000 fine,” Ikwenda shouted menacingly as he went on.

“You think by owning goats you are now a professor in extension services making us irrelevant and stupid,” he said angrily, his voice almost failing him.

“But even before we close this business, you need to first pay for my motorbike fuel and lunch. My boss at the sub-county office also needs to be paid for taking his time to send me here instead of attending to other urgent duties. You are in trouble, Sir,” he thundered, adding that it would cost Mathenge Sh10,000.

Having had a booming business in the last three days, Mathenge easily paid out the Sh10,000.

But when Ikwenda came back last Wednesday with similar threats, Mathenge told him off. He asked me to advise him on how to handle his fast-rising business and Ikwenda’s threats. What should I tell him?