Tony Kawagga, poultry farmer

By Joan Akello

Kawagga, 35, ventured into poultry farming in 2012. His start up capital was Shs 1 million with which he bought 100 layers.

When this first batch started laying,  he  opened a  wholesale shop  to sell directly to clients to avoid dealing with middle men  who make a killing by buying cheaply at farm gate prices.

Kawagga currently has 1,000 birds that lay 45 trays daily but his target is 2,500 layers at his farm located in Kisasi, a Kampala suburb. He also intends to open more wholes sale shops to meet increasing demand for eggs. Because of the rising demand, he has had to get more eggs from other poultry farmers, which enables him to sell 300 trays daily.

From the 300 trays he sells on a good day, he earns about Shs 150,000 in profit.

On a monthly basis, his total turnover is about Shs 67.2 million, from which he bus inputs, utilities, and salaries for his four employees.

His future prospects include getting  more capital  to enable him sell over 1,000 trays daily, purchase feeds in bulk  because  their prices fluctuate hence affecting the farm’s budget and even the  birds’ ability to lay eggs and the egg sizes.

Tip to success: focus on high turnover

“The more turnover you have, the more profits you make, however small. Many people underestimate small profits  and always focus on making huge profits on each item and in the end have low turnover, which affects  their bottom line,” he says.