The process of opening up a new market is rigorous.
There is the venue selection, farmers selection, training, meetings with donors and local authorities, negotiations and the farm visits. We must visit the farms to have a first hand feel of their production methods and output capacity. As we talk and take in perspectives from current farms, we start to understand the inspiration that drives them.
In this round of visits, we are amazed at how young most of the farmers are.
One thing that clearly stands out is how they have been able to merge traditional farming with modern farming methods. They are not your regular farmers who are very good at production but struggle with marketing himself.
No. These ones have perfected the selling bit.
They know that before putting anything into the ground they must first know if there is a market for it, not just because a neighbour planted cucumbers and got a million shillings in a day.
It’s wonderful to see the younger generation taking up farming. It’s true that years ago farming was a last option but we missed a turn.
Take Kenyan Indian shop owners for example.
They sent their children to business schools and after years of education and experience, the children came back and expanded the little Kirinyaga Road shops to Huge supply chains.
The education was aimed at supporting the existing family business. And it has worked out thoroughly well for them.
On the other hand, farmers’ children were sent away from the farm to be accountants in other people’s businesses in Nairobi. But things are changing. The IT degree holder is now the farm manager in his ancestral land. The Business finance expert is now holding training on the farm, while maximizing on the 1/8 of an acre.
The Marketing guru has come back home and is selling fresh Kienyeji chicken of Facebook.