SASUMUA AGRICULTURE

What we do

The company farms 2,450 hectares of broad-acre arable crops in two areas of Kenya - Ndabibi (Naivasha), and Ol Maisor (Laikipia) with 135 Ha at Ndabibi under pivot. Our location in Laikipia is considered marginal, non-traditional farmland, however adopting Conservation Agriculture methodologies has proven crops can successfully be grown on these soils. Current crops include Maize, Wheat, Barley, Canola, Peas, Chickpeas, Sunflower, Green Grams and Sorghum. Input and off take agreements for all crops are in place with Agventure Ltd, Sasumua agriculture's strategic trading and processing partner.

Our history and vision

Transforming a family operated business with 100 years of experience.

Sasumua Agriculture Ltd was created on the founding family farms based in Nakuru, Kenya to meet the 21st century challenges and changes in agriculture.

Farming for the future

Our farms adopt Conservation Agriculture methods - a farming system that promotes minimum mechanical soil disturbance through direct tillage, permanent soil organic cover of at least 30 percent and species diversification through varied crop rotations. To support these methods we also use controlled traffic farming and GPS based precision technology.

"Food security in sub-Saharan Africa is under threat. The ability of many Africans to access sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs has been disrupted by successive natural disasters and epidemics. The COVID-19 pandemic is just the latest catastrophe to have swollen the ranks of 240 million people going hungry in the region."

- IMF Report, June 4, 2020

Key objectives

Conservation agriculture

Achieve our goals by using Conservation Agriculture approaches with minimal impact to the environment. Demonstrate the viability of Conservation Agriculture in Laikipia area to local government and neighbouring communities.

Community based programmes

Develop community-based agriculture and livestock programs. Transfer knowledge, skills and technology through community programs.

Benefits of conservation agriculture

Universally applicable to all agricultural landscapes and land uses with locally formulated and adapted practices.
Enhances biodiversity and natural biological processes above and below the ground surface.
Facilitates good agronomy, such as timely operations, and improves overall land husbandry for rain-fed and irrigated production.
Complemented by other known good practices, including the use of quality seeds, and integrated pest, nutrient, weed and water management.

The core principles of conservation agriculture

Minimum soil disturbance

Permanent soil organic cover

Species diversification

Core investments

Machinery

Front-line machinery is fully integrated John Deere with RTK precision guidance and AMS technology. All fields are setup and managed with this precision technology. We run a 9 M swath system with 3 M wheel centres.

Data management systems

Sas Ag uses modern farm management software, recording field operations, monitoring inputs, outputs and budgets versus actual Gross Margins by field and crop type. Yield mapping from combines and NDVI mapping can be uploaded into current software for prescription and variable rate application.

Our story

Transforming a family-operated business with over 100 years of experience in Kenyan Agriculture into an integrated cereal producer, Sas Ag is one of the leading Conservation Agriculture operators in the region. The company has grown from a 400-hectare mixed arable crop farm in 2011 to 2,450 hectares in 2020, with the ability to expand broad-acre arable farming into regions that traditionally were cattle ranches. Sas Ag has proven the concept of Conservation Agriculture, by successfully growing a variety of arable crops in what was previously considered land only suited to extensive cattle ranching on Ol Maisor Farm in Laikipia, Kenya.