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: 19 April 2016; Hits: 9299

Mushroom firm looking for outgrowers

Mushroom Blue, a Kenyan startup branding and supplying mushroom products, including pizza, is buying and organizing training free workshops for local small scale mushroom farmers in the country, insulating them from market bullies who have the capacity to supply the rich high end market. Large scale producers account for 95 per cent of the country’s total mushroom.
A part from offering a ready accessible market for smallholder farmers, the company is offering them the elusive production knowledge, enabling them to increase their yields and hygienically handle mushroom, hence earning more from the venture, socially and economically transforming lives of those farmers.
Founded in 2012 by three University of Nairobi graduates Ngethe Mbachia, Nyawira Gitaka and Gregory Limbe, the company started its operations by buying mushroom from farmers around Nairobi and Kiambu before they also started producing their own mushroom by using coffee husks as substrates.
Offering market and training for smallholder farmers
According to the company’s Chief Executive Officer Ngethe Mbachia, they noticed that most large scale mushroom producers do value addition to their yields, package them and have means to hygienically store mushroom products, hence appealing to high end consumers. This, according to Mbachia lock out many smallholder farmers who are forced to sell their produce at a through away price to middlemen, incurring huge loses. He added that mushroom require high maintenance level during production an aspect that overwhelm smallholder farmers resulting into huge post harvest losses.
Procedure for registering with Mushroom Blue
‘’We brand the produce and redistribute it to the market we have. The farmers’ network guarantees us mushrooms throughout the year as we have various farmers and even referrals from existing farmers and institutions’’, said Ngethe Mbachia, the Chief Executive Officer.
Mushroom Blue visits a farmer few weeks before harvesting to verify the quality and quantity. The farmer then fill a contractual form which details about the type of mushroom he grows, quantity, name and banking details as all payments are done through banks. After the first delivery, the farmer is incorporated into the company’s network which guarantees him free training and future delivery. Distance farmers are allowed to send samples of their mushrooms or high resolution photos of their yields.
Increased operations to the Coast region
The company recently expanded its services to the Coast region where it is also buying mushroom from farmers, brand and distribute to local supermarkets, groceries and restaurants. The company holds prospects of covering the whole country by the end of this year before expanding to cover other parts of East Africa.
Although there is a huge market demand for mushroom in Kenya, most smallholder farmers lack means to penetrate due to perishability nature of the fungi. READ ALSO: Huge global demand for mushroom
According to the National Farmers Information System (NAFIS), Kenya produces only 500 tonnes of mushroom per year against a consumption of 1200 tonnes hence a deficit of 700tonnes annually.

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: 15 April 2016; Hits: 6891

Kitchen Soko linking farmers to Nairobi consumers

One tomato farmer who made losses to poor market is connecting peasants to online buyers on an e-commerce marketplace,Kitchen Soko, which he pioneered.

Winston Wachaga, who started the Internet-based market solution less than a year ago, is linking more than 80 farmers to Nairobi middle-class consumers.

Consumers place online orders in advance and Kitchen Soko requests supplies from farmers before delivering.

Wachaga says he came up with the idea after facing frustration with tomato loss after missing a reliable and profitable market.

“It is difficult to get produce to the market. We end up frustrated because of the exploitation from middle-men given that most of the produce is perishable,” told The Guardian.

Farmers end up losing even initial investment costs.

Kitchen Soko is not only assuring the suppliers of a ready market, but also giving middle class consumers a taste of freshness; goods are brought and delivered; they do not stock, the entrepreneur says.

“A customer orders, we ask the farmer to harvest and we deliver,” he said.

With such specifications, wastage is minimised since the farmer will only harvest the required quantity.

Consumers can order fresh livestock, vegetables and bakery products.

Deliveries are made on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Meat and baked foods are delivered on Friday and Saturdays only.

A consumer will pay Sh250 for goods costing Sh3,000 and below. Sh950 is the minimum order a consumer can place.

With consumers shying away from 'healthy' looking vegetables which are said to be grown along sewage lines and roads, Kitchen Soko establishes the source first.

With the enterprise making about 500 box deliveries a week, Wachaga says the platform is quickly becoming the preferred shopping tool for the city's busy middle class buyers.

Given that the deliveries to specific customers are not in large quantities, it makes the platform an appropriate market for small-scale farmers.

Payment is cash on delivery or upfront via Mpesa.

Some areas covered by this Kiambu Road-based service enterprise include Westlands, Central Business District, Chiromo,Hurlingham, Parklands and Kitisuru.

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: 15 April 2016; Hits: 18246

High-end hotels in Kenya create best turkey market

The increasing demand for turkey meat by high-end hotels in Kenya is creating a lucrative market for the bird. A spot check at various five star hotels in Nairobi, for instance, showed that turkey meat is served three times a week on average, with the demand increasing during festive seasons like Christmas and Easter. At the Intercontinental Hotel for instance, the three exotic meats served for every dinner are turkey, camel and crocodile, with a plate going for Sh2450.
Low turkey production in Africa
According to a Manager at Safari Park Hotel, who did not disclose his name, most turkey meat served at the hotel is sourced from farmers across the country although the low production normally forces them to import from world leading producers like USA and Europe. US accounts for almost 50 per cent of the world’s turkey meat, producing an average of 3.37m tonnes per year. Africa only manages an average of 0.12m tonnes, according to FAO.
Attractive market prices
The demand for this exotic meat has pushed the price high in Kenya with a kilogram of turkey meat retailing at Sh600 as an egg goes for Sh60. According to Mwangi Macharia of Kora Poultry farm in Murang’a County, a mature tom, a male turkey, can weigh up to 13 kilos, fetching up to Sh7000. Apart from meat and eggs, farmers can also sell turkey feathers mostly used for decoration purposes.
READ ALSO: Farmer earning huge from turkey farming
Peter Wakusev, a Kajiado based turkey farmer who supplies meat to various upscale markets in Nairobi including Prime Cuts at Village Market, Tribe Hotel, Enashapai, Fairmont and the Norfolk explains that not all turkeys can be kept for commercial purposes. Wakusev advises that the broad-breasted White breed is considered the best for meat production. According to experts, this breed has the best feed to meat conversion rate.
The breed consumes less feed and converts this feed to meat within a very short time. Other popular breeds kept for meat include the White Holland and Standard Bronze.
Turkeys are ready for market at 12-20 weeks while hens start laying eggs when they reach 5 months.

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Tuesday, 30 August 2022 [quote=Emma kawira]where can i sell my ducks[/quote] Hi Emma, you could get in ...

Saturday, 27 August 2022 where can i sell my ducks

Wednesday, 07 April 2021 [quote=Lawrence mwangi]Where can I sell? Thanks[/quote] Hi Lawrence, we do not ...

Wednesday, 07 April 2021 [quote=Stanley]I have turkeys ready to sell please link me to national market my...

Sunday, 21 March 2021 I have turkeys ready to sell please link me to national market my email it is st...