Gogar Farm, owned and directed by Hamish Grant, is a 5,000-acre sprawling piece of land located in Rongai, Nakuru County.
The farm is one of the leading breeders and exporters of pedigree dairy cows in East Africa.
WoK takes a look at the farm’s rich history and operations.
History
The farm was established in 1915 by a group of rich aristocrats, including Denys Finch-Hatton of ‘Out of Africa’ fame, who was one of the early major shareholders.
During the first world war, it was consolidated by Arthur Dudgeon into one holding.
Gogar farm, as well as the major Rongai area, was thought to be very ideal for maize farming considering the proximity of the Kenya-Uganda railway for transport.
Arthur is credited for introducing the Ayrshire cattle breed in Kenya. The breed has become a major milk producer for the arid and semi-arid mixed farming areas.
Arthur was also a founding shareholder of the Kenya Seed Company and Kenya Cooperative Creameries.
One of the farm’s early managers was Cnyd Hill, who also chaired the Kenya Farmers’ Association for several years.
As Gogar farm developed, it encompassed other farms in Rongai, Olongai, Elburgon, and Turi. Its initial investments were pyrethrum and poultry.
After Kenya gained independence, the farm was consolidated into the original Rongai area as the other farms were sold to the Settlement Fund Trustees who subdivided the land to small-scale farmers.
The farm is credited for the establishment of Ilara Dairies, a milk processing plant established in the 1990s that is now a part of the Brookside Dairies.
Inside Gogar Farm
The farm hosts the iconic Molo River House, which offers a serene stay-at-home environment near lakes Nakuru and Bogoria and offers visitors a view of other enterprises within Gogar farm.
Initially, the farm reared Ayrshire cattle but later transitioned to Holstein Friesian, which make up 90% of the current herd.
Hamish Grant’s primary business is to breed heifers which he then sells to farmers across East Africa, and milk production is just a byproduct.
We normally run around 500 cows with a total herd count of over 1,400 animals, including heifer replacements and young stock,” he explained to Viking Genetics company.
The farm has embraced modern farming methods such as an outdoor mobile milking system which eliminates the need for a milking parlor.
Cows are milked in two shifts, from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The cows are sprayed weekly to eliminate pests, especially ticks. They are also vaccinated thrice per year against foot and mouth disease.
The herds yield 18-20 liters of milk per cow per day, which is then sold to a local milk processing unit at roughly sh 60-70 per liter as reported by Viking Genetics.
Community projects
In addition to its focus on dairy cow breeding and rearing, Gogar Farm is also involved in community development initiatives.
These include the production of charcoal using environmentally friendly kilns made from mud bricks.
The charcoal comes from the numerous acacia trees on the farm which are regularly harvested to clear grazing land, and also from planted eucalyptus trees.
Goga Farm is also one of the founding shareholders of Kenya seed company. Over the last 50 years, the farm has partnered with KSC to produce quality Rhodes grass for export and for the local market.
The farm is also a supplier of dry hay for livestock farmers within the local community and in Nairobi markets.
Apart from that, the farm produces horticultural seeds like Petunia and Snap Dragon and offers employment to over 300 locals.
As a founding shareholder of Kenya cooperative creameries, the farm has played a leading role in shaping the Kenyan dairy industry.
