Dr. Daniel Masaba is a chicken farmer who owns one of the biggest poultry farms in East Africa after he left his former medical doctor profession to venture into full-time chicken farming.
According to an interview he had with Youtuber, Wode Maya, it was such a difficult decision he made as poultry farming is regarded as a job for the poor.
Daniel has been farming for the last five years after starting with about 800 chickens on his father’s piece of land.
He currently owns 400 acres of land housing more than 20,000 chickens, over 150 cattle, over 750 goats and ships as well as plants and crops.
Young Daniel has made farming an enjoyable lifestyle as he turned the venture into an inspirational platform by creating a Youtube channel where he shares tips on how to the business.
“I am Dr. Daniel Masaba, a medical doctor with a deep passion for farming. I started a commercial poultry farm from scratch on a low budget and almost no support from other farmers, but I made it. Currently, it’s more than just chickens. It’s cattle, goats, sheep, geese, guinea fowls, bees, and I love the farm life,” he wrote.
Daniel found wealth in agriculture upon discovering that medical doctors in Uganda had lower earning potential compared to their global counterparts. He told Wode Maya that after making a decision to quit, he made up his mind that no amount of negativity will stop him, not even his parents.
“I decided I’m not going to make anyone make me feel like regretting.”
I started expanding gradually after starting in 2019. In 2020, I brought in 2,000 birds and then at the end of 2020, I had 400 acres of land where I currently run a breeder farm. A breeder farm supplies commercial farms with chicks. I don’t raise birds for meat or for eggs. I supply other farmers with day-old chicks. We currently have 40,000 broiler breeders.
By utilizing his YouTube channel, which has more than 300,000 followers, he provides free knowledge about poultry farming.
Unlike other poultry farmers, Daniel has invested in feed production as well as day-old chicks. Most of the things he uses for his businesses are made with locally available materials. He has over 200 acres of maize farm where the proceeds are used for chicken feed production. Farm Up also grows other crops such as beans, potatoes, bananas, and pineapples among others to feed his workers as well.
Farm Up currently employs over 200 people after the founder Dr. Daniel Masaba resigned as a practising medical doctor to become a full-time farmer.
“Anyone can do anything as long as you have the desire and push through with it,” Dr. Masaba advised the youth.
