Michael Cherwon.
Uasin Gishu County is known for maize farming, but Michael
Cherwon, 70, from Kipkaren area opposite the Eldoret International
Airport, has not dedicated any of his 40 acres to it.
The former banker says the cost of production and risks involved are too high and he prefers buying maize to growing it.
A
tree planting project which he started as a way of conserving the
environment has turned out to be an additional source of livelihood for
his family of 10.
“Demand for trees is high, especially
by electricity transmission companies, which treat the poles before
use. The poles are also used for construction and fencing,” he said.
Mr Cherwon has over 10 acres of indigenous and exotic trees, comprising cypress, wattle, eucalyptus, and pine.
“I
have more exotic trees since they mature faster and have a ready
market. The indigenous trees fetch good money but take longer to
mature,” he said.
He plants 700 seedlings on each acre
and sells then at a huge profit years later. “It can translate to a
profit of between Sh3 million to Sh6 million per acre from initial tree
seedlings that I acquired locally at Sh3 each,” he says.
The
age of a tree dictates its use and price. One aged between three and
four years can be sold for Sh4,000. These are usually used as
construction poles, while those aged five to eight years are sold for
Sh6,000 and are mostly used as electricity transmission poles or are
split for timber.
Those below two years are sold as
firewood to tea processing factories in the neighbouring Nandi County at
about Sh2,000. Eucalyptus posts go for Sh30 per foot, while fencing
posts go for Sh210 each.
“I like planting blue gum
(eucalyptus) since they have a ready market. There are those from South
Africa that take only six years to mature and an Australian variety that
takes eight years,” he said.
Ten years ago, he says, research was done by the government on the cost of maize farming in various regions in the North Rift.
The study established that Kipkaren soil was not as good for maize farming as the rest of Uasin Gishu.
“They
said it was not cost-effective for maize growing as more fertiliser had
to be used and a farmer could spend more to produce one bag of maize,”
he says.
He adds that Soi area was said to be good for wheat, whereas Kipkabus was good for goats and merino sheep.
However, Mr Cherwon has another farm in Kapseret where he plants maize for family consumption and to feed his livestock.
He says he has never regretted farming trees as it requires little involvement.
After planting the seedlings, they require only care and protection from animals.
Once their auxiliary buds are high enough, he lets his animals graze and shade under the trees.
“Trees also have an advantage in that they can still do well on unproductive, waterlogged, or uncultivated land,” he said.
Other
than ploughing a farm, herbicides are used to clear grass from
uncultivated land and holes are made a foot apart before seedlings are
planted.
“Tree farming is very profitable, but the
waiting time before they mature is long. The market is good, although it
may flood soon as more people embrace the business,” he said.
Mr
Cherwon recalls way back in the 1990s when Uasin Gishu had wild
herbivorous animals wandering across the terrain looking for food.
“Due to human settlement and cutting down of trees, the region became vulnerable to climate change,” he said.
He took up the initiative to plant trees to conserve the environment.
Mr Thomas Otieno, an investment consultant, says it is more economically viable to invest in tree farming than real estate.
“If
you compare an investor who spends Sh2 million to acquire a plot in
town and put up rental flats and one who uses the same amount to acquire
a remote piece of land and plant trees, the latter would get better
profits at less cost and involvement,” he says
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