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: 16 September 2019; Hits: 7107

Vihiga County recruiting farmers to grow traditional vegetables for Carrefour

spider plant farm Spider plant

Vihiga County, in western Kenya is seeking to recruit 2,500 farmers who have been growing kale, cabbage, spinach, broccoli and cauliflower and sell locally to venture into cultivating traditional African vegetables to supply to Carrefour supermarket.

In this, the county has unveiled a Sh30m plan aimed at supporting growers with small parcels of land that are not viable for large-scale agriculture where they will be supplied with seeds and cuttings for vegetables such as black nightshade (lisutsa), spider plant (tsisaga), amaranth (tsimboga), cowpeas (likuvi) and jute mallow (mutere).

According to 2010 research by Mary Oyiela Abukutsa-Onyango for JKUAT, introduction of exotic temperate crops such as cabbage, indigenous greens lost popularity in Kenya and started to be regarded as ‘weeds’ and `poor man’s food’

However, according to Vihiga Trade executive Geofrey Vukaya, the programme will turn the rural county into a commercial hub for traditional vegetables and earn the farmers better living.

“We have secured a deal with the supermarket to buy the traditional vegetables directly from the farmers. We will also set up collection centres at Walodeya in Chavakali, Wemilabi in Emuhaya, Majengo in Vihiga and Cheptulu in Hamisi where farmers will take their produce for sale,” said Vukaya.

The centres will also serve as market for neighbouring counties of Nandi, Kakamega, Siaya and Busia.

“Despite the small sizes of farms in the county, venturing into cultivation of traditional vegetables will be viable for our farmers. We have decided to start with 2,500 farmers and will increase the number with time to reach more such farmers with the aim of upping their incomes,” said Vukaya.

The trade executive said the seeds will be supplied by Natural Products Industry (NPI) while Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) will provide training for the growers to ensure quality and standard harvests.

Fifteen sacks of traditional vegetables can be harvested per season on a one-acre piece of land and this can earn a farmer up to Sh102,400 per season.

With 60 per cent of the Kenyan population living below the poverty line, resulting in malnutrition and poor health, there is need for a paradigm shift in the production patterns to harness the nutrition and economic potential of indigenous vegetables, according to Abukutsa.

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: 12 September 2019; Hits: 11898

Exporter looking for 2000 farmers to grow horticultural crops

Kandia Fresh Produce Suppliers Ltd, a Nairobi based exporter is looking to increase its production base of farmers from the current 500 to 2,500 to grow seven horticultural crops to meet the increasing demand in European markets.

“We are seeking for more farmers across Kenya to grow French beans, snow peas, sugar snaps, chilli, avocado, broccoli and sugarcane through contract farming,” said Joseph Mwanga, an agronomist at the company.

“We consider four main things before we contract farmers, these are; enough source of water, ready labor, capital and size of the land.”

In this, farmers in regions where the exporter has out growers such as Kisii, Meru and the coast must have a minimum of half an acre to start with. Those not within the out grower zone must have a minimum of three acres.

They also have to buy seeds for the respective crop they intend to grow before signing the contract. In this, Kandia Fresh advices farmers to buy seeds from certified merchants such as the Kenya Highland Seed or Kenya Seed Company.

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kandia fresh

“The process of signing the contract takes an average of one week with interested farmers first being sent an email of the contract to read and understand. Once they agree, they download it, sign and send scanned copies to Kandia Fresh. Signing of the contract is free and farmers are not charged for it,” said Mwanga.

When they start growing the crops, Kandi Fresh walks with the farmer every step of the way by offering free technical advice on adherence to market standards and the type of fertilisers and pesticides to use.

“We send agronomists to our farmers every 14 days to check on how they are doing. Through this, we educate them on GLOBALG.A.P (the worldwide standard for good agricultural practices),” said Mwanga.

Kandia Fresh Ltd has scheduled harvesting days for each region. In Kisii for instance, the exporter in partnership with the farmers harvest the produce on Mondays and Saturdays, Eldoret region farmers harvest on Tuesdays and Fridays while those in Ukambani harvest on Mondays and Thursdays.

After harvesting, the produce is weighed at the farm level and confirmed after delivery before grading and packaging is done.

“We pay farmers based on the weight of the produce delivered, in this the amount is normally indicated in the contract, but in case of change of price, we usually notify them,” said Mwanga.

Payment of the produce is via bank transfer and is done twice a month. Those farmers supplying produce between 1^st and 15^th of every month are paid on the 22^nd of the same month while those supplying produce between 15^th and 31^st are paid in the 7^th of the following month.

Kandia Fresh exports the produce to the European Union to countries such Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Thailand and Switzerland among others.

Joseph Mwanga the agronomist at Kandia Fresh can be reached on +254 706 182 721.

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Tuesday, 17 August 2021 [quote=Douglas Gwademba]Dear Joseph, I work for a Company known as Developing A...

Friday, 07 May 2021 Dear Joseph, I work for a Company known as Developing Afrika Ltd, we have pie...

: 11 September 2019; Hits: 8561

Exporter buying honey from smallholders to meet UAE market demand

Honey Care Africa, the manufacturer of a variety of honey products such as nuez spread is looking for more farmers from the current 6,000 to supply it with at least 18 to 20 tonnes of the produce per month for sale to the local and the Arab market.

According to a report by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), the UAE's imports of honey reached AED 126m ($34.3m) last year, growing from AED 59m ($16.06m) in 2011 to a cumulative annual growth rate of 14 per cent.

“Honey Care Africa purchases honey from Kenyan, South Sudan and Tanzanian farmers honey at Sh240 per kilogram. We use the produce to make our valued added brands such as cinnamon, yennoh bitez, nuez bread and mint honey which is infused with natural spices and herbs which are known for their contribution in health and wellness, said Belinda Otieno, a sales officer at the company.

The company encourages farmers to come together in groups for easy collection and production.

“For farmers to supply us we would have to vet how they are organised as a group, then assess the potential available in their area of operation including suitability for scale. We would then take them through our sourcing procedures and agree on terms,” said Belinda.

After purchasing the honey a physical check is done and honey is graded according to the geographical origin as well as colour. They are then packed into the different brands; Acacia – light honey from arid and semi-arid areas, highland – dark honey from highly vegetative areas, select harvest -honey sourced from a distinct region and beekeepers – blend of acacia and highland.

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The Honey is also used in the manufacture of the company’s nut butters and snacks – crackers and honey coated peanuts. These products are sold in various supermarkets across Kenya.

Honey Care Africa was founded in 2000 as an NGO supporting smallholder beekeepers through training, equipment, links with financial institutions and ready market for honey. It has since transitioned into a social impact enterprise and is now putting more emphasis on commercialization of honey.

The company is working with about 4500 – 6,000 farmers from Kakamega, Kitale, Kapsabet, Baringo, West Pokot, Tanzania and South Sudan using aggregators to collect the produce where payment is made after delivery.

According to Belinda, the company’s mint honey is a great appetizer, palate cleanser and promotes digestion. Cinnamon and ginger on the other hand contains culturally accepted curative properties such as fighting infections and relieving digestive problems respectively. Lemon ginger contains culturally accepted properties especially relief of coughs and cold.

In Kenya, the demand is currently high with the production estimated at 7300 tonnes annually against a demand of 100,000 tonnnes according to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

To bridge the supply gap, Kenya imports honey worth approximately Sh23m every year from Tanzania, Egypt and Australia according to the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics.

According to USAID, Ethiopia is the largest producer of honey in Africa generating 45,300 tonnes per annum. Tanzania is the second largest at 8,000 tonnes followed by Kenya, Ugandan and Rwanda at 4,000 tonnes a year.

Honey Care Africa can be reached on 0735 574448

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