an alternative money minting untapped farming venure

an alternative money minting untapped farming venure Read Post

agripreneur, farming in kenya, kenya entrepreneurs

an alternative money minting untapped farming venure

Meet David 26, who does dairy goat
farming while still a student at Chuka
University. David started with one goat
which was an indigenous species and
then he decided to improve his breeds
to Kenyan Alpine breed so that he can
earn more from goat farming especially
in milk production.

Currently he has 15 goats and on
average and he is able to produce
more than 10 litres which he sells at
ksh 100 per day. He sells his goat
between ksh 15,000 and adult at
20,000.

Due to passion in agriculture and
especially animal health he enrolled at
Chuka University and he pays his fees
from goats milk and sales of his goats.

original arricle appeared on mkulimayoung.com

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entrepreneur making ksh 150,000 per month with his innovative farm venture

entrepreneur making ksh 150,000 per month with his innovative farm venture Read Post

agripreneurs, farming in kenya, kenya entrepreneurs, poultry farming

entrepreneur making ksh 150,000 per month with his innovative farm venture

If all goes as planned, Hillary Simani
will be a millionaire in a few years.

The Bachelor of Science in Animal
Health (Egerton University) graduate’s
farm in Vihiga is producing 400 eggs
daily and with a market value of Sh 20
each, the 28 year old farmer rakes in
about Sh 8,000 a day. With feed and
other costs being about Sh 3,000 a
day, Simani pockets about Sh 5,000 a
day.

"Already, Simani is earning at least Sh
150, 000 a month and soon the figure
will double when his Machakos
poultry farm reaches its capacity".
And yet, he remote controls his farm
operations from Machakos County
where he stays. The Vihiga farm, where
he hails from, is under his parents and
a few employees .

After graduating in 2008 from Egerton
University, he got a job at an Agrovet’s
shop in Nakuru but the income was
peanuts. He moved to Machakos in
search of green pastures three years
ago.

Indeed, he found greener pastures
there. While he started the Vihiga farm
with 83 chicks, which has now risen to
640, the Machakos farm has even
bigger prospects. Here, he has a stock
of over 800 layers and more than 500
chicks.
Soon, he projects to collect 600 eggs a
day from the farm. With an average
price of Sh 10 per egg, Simani could
rake in Sh 180,000 a month. Add that
to the Vihiga income and the young
man could earn at least Sh 300,000 a
month by the end of the year.

Interestingly, Simani has his chicken
incubator in his bedroom. The
incubator was loaned to him by the
Youth Enterprise Fund early in the
year.
"I was passionate about poultry
farming from an early age. I just
wanted to fully exploit it when I
decided to leave my agrovet job," says
Simani.

Simani, who carries out extension
services to farmers in Machakos and
Makueni Counties, is currently
hatching his own Kienyenji chicken. By
the end of the year, he will pay up the
incubator’s loan that amounted to Sh
20,000.

"Success in farming requires patience.
Profits come slowly," says Simani. He
says chicken are delicate animals and
require close management to yield
profits.
"The youth should bid their time,
manage their livestock properly and
cash will come flowing," he advises. He
utilizes Mkulima Young website to
market his chicks

original arricle appeared on mkulimayoung.com

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tomato & capcicum farmer making ksh 50,000 per week from her quater acre farm

tomato & capcicum farmer making ksh 50,000 per week from her quater acre farm Read Post

agripreneur, capcicum farming, farming in kenya, greenhouse farming, kenya entrepreneurs, tomato farming

tomato & capcicum farmer making ksh 50,000 per week from her quater acre farm

Constance Akiso has for the last three weeks
been a creature of habit. Every morning she
harvests vegetables for sale in the
afternoon. This is her first harvest since she
quit her job in January.

When Seeds of Gold caught up with her
early in the week, she had just delivered
her latest order of capsicum and tomatoes
at an upmarket mall in Nairobi.
Now in her 30s, Akiso resigned as a
marketing officer with an insurance firm to
concentrate on farming.

“I actually left employment on January 2 to
do farming,” she says. She previously worked
in sales and marketing at different
institutions, but none of these gave her the
satisfaction she desired.
Some of her friends and former colleagues,
she says, are baffled by her decision to quit
employment, but she is not worried. In any
case, farming is what she had always
wanted to do.

“My friends are actually surprised. They ask
why I am wasting my papers (undergraduate
and graduate qualifications). But I tell
them the knowledge and skills I gained in
school are what I’m applying in farming,”
she says.
While still in employment, Ms Akiso spent
part of her free time researching on farming.
“It took me a while looking through
information, reading stories of other farmers
and companies that are into this kind of
business,” she recalls. After a year of
research, she finally zeroed in on vegetable
farming.

“I wanted to do anything vegetables so I
thought I could start with tomatoes and
greens; then I can always rotate with
something else like chillies,” she says.
Capsicum and tomatoes seem to have
favoured her, going by the rich harvest she
has had this month.
Akiso first leased land in November last year
and put up two greenhouses.
“It is funny. The person who installed the
greenhouses for me happens to be someone
I had read about in the articles on farming.
I called them up and bought it from them,”
she tells Seeds of Gold.

Slow, but steady
Her total investment on the farm is
Sh600,000. Her capital was from savings and
a bank loan. The land in Rongai is a quarter
of an acre, and she plans to buy it.
The intensity of the work needed during
harvesting and marketing partly contributed
to her decision to resign. She says she
needed to prepare the market before the
crop was ready for harvesting.

“I started looking for business even before
the crops matured. she says.
Akiso makes Sh50,000 weekly from her small
farm, which she runs as a business entity
registered as Conbel Fresh Produce. Her
hope is to grow it bigger.
Every week she harvests 500kg of tomatoes
and 200kg capsicum.

“In everything one does, they should put
trust in God because this is what I do.”
But success has not come easy. Asiko has
had to overcome a number of
challenges. The first hurdle is water.
Without a borehole, she depends on the
intermittent Nairobi Water supplies to keep
her plants green.

Akiso also hires a pick-up to transport her
produce to the market.
“I don’t have a vehicle to transport the
produce, so I hire. This means I have to get
my calculations right so that I don’t incur
losses,” she says.
Akiso is happy that her dive into farming is
so far rewarding. To those eyeing the same,
she says: “To be able to do farming
successfully, one needs to do it full-time
because it demands undivided attention.”

Read More

tomato & capcicum farmer making ksh 50,000 per week from her quater acre farm

tomato & capcicum farmer making ksh 50,000 per week from her quater acre farm Read Post

agripreneur, capcicum farming, farming in kenya, greenhouse farming, kenya entrepreneurs, tomato farming

tomato & capcicum farmer making ksh 50,000 per week from her quater acre farm

Constance Akiso has for the last three weeks
been a creature of habit. Every morning she
harvests vegetables for sale in the
afternoon. This is her first harvest since she
quit her job in January.

When Seeds of Gold caught up with her
early in the week, she had just delivered
her latest order of capsicum and tomatoes
at an upmarket mall in Nairobi.
Now in her 30s, Akiso resigned as a
marketing officer with an insurance firm to
concentrate on farming.

“I actually left employment on January 2 to
do farming,” she says. She previously worked
in sales and marketing at different
institutions, but none of these gave her the
satisfaction she desired.
Some of her friends and former colleagues,
she says, are baffled by her decision to quit
employment, but she is not worried. In any
case, farming is what she had always
wanted to do.

“My friends are actually surprised. They ask
why I am wasting my papers (undergraduate
and graduate qualifications). But I tell
them the knowledge and skills I gained in
school are what I’m applying in farming,”
she says.
While still in employment, Ms Akiso spent
part of her free time researching on farming.
“It took me a while looking through
information, reading stories of other farmers
and companies that are into this kind of
business,” she recalls. After a year of
research, she finally zeroed in on vegetable
farming.

“I wanted to do anything vegetables so I
thought I could start with tomatoes and
greens; then I can always rotate with
something else like chillies,” she says.
Capsicum and tomatoes seem to have
favoured her, going by the rich harvest she
has had this month.
Akiso first leased land in November last year
and put up two greenhouses.
“It is funny. The person who installed the
greenhouses for me happens to be someone
I had read about in the articles on farming.
I called them up and bought it from them,”
she tells Seeds of Gold.

Slow, but steady
Her total investment on the farm is
Sh600,000. Her capital was from savings and
a bank loan. The land in Rongai is a quarter
of an acre, and she plans to buy it.
The intensity of the work needed during
harvesting and marketing partly contributed
to her decision to resign. She says she
needed to prepare the market before the
crop was ready for harvesting.

“I started looking for business even before
the crops matured. she says.
Akiso makes Sh50,000 weekly from her small
farm, which she runs as a business entity
registered as Conbel Fresh Produce. Her
hope is to grow it bigger.
Every week she harvests 500kg of tomatoes
and 200kg capsicum.

“In everything one does, they should put
trust in God because this is what I do.”
But success has not come easy. Asiko has
had to overcome a number of
challenges. The first hurdle is water.
Without a borehole, she depends on the
intermittent Nairobi Water supplies to keep
her plants green.

Akiso also hires a pick-up to transport her
produce to the market.
“I don’t have a vehicle to transport the
produce, so I hire. This means I have to get
my calculations right so that I don’t incur
losses,” she says.
Akiso is happy that her dive into farming is
so far rewarding. To those eyeing the same,
she says: “To be able to do farming
successfully, one needs to do it full-time
because it demands undivided attention.”

Read More

The fabulous life of young rich kenyans

The fabulous life of young rich kenyans Read Post

kenya entrepreneurs, kenya rich, richest kenyans, young rich

The fabulous life of young rich kenyans

Forget those you see flossing at social scenes or in music videos, these are the rich Kenyans living a life on the fabulous lane. Here are some of Kenya’s young self-made rich tycoons.

They claim to have come a long way. They all hail from humble backgrounds and claim to be involved in legitimate businesses. These relatively unknown but wealthy Kenyans under 40 are going places.

Whoever said that life begins at 40 might have not considered about these daredevils who a living large under 40 and own a fortune. We look at entrepreneurs who have made it against all odds.

In showbiz circles, the story of Homeboyz Entertainment is well documented. The company owned by the Rabar brothers is a now a conglomerate which rakes in good cash from events, radios, animations et al.

Then there are the likes of DJ Stylez-led Code Red, Blackstar Entertainment and Kevin Ombajo’s Trublaq, which are making a kill. Individual musicians like Nameless and Jaguar are also laughing all the way to the bank. Away from entertainment there are young men and women doing well.

Lawyers like Don Kipkorir are living large. Well, are these Kenyans the richest under 40?

Brian Gacara

Age: 27 years

Title: Managing Partner at Property Reality and Cape Gardens, a real estate firm.

Background: At 23 years, was the regional director for Tetra Pak, West Africa. Ventured in timber business, before eventually branching into real estate. Currently building a 120 units estate along Mombasa Road valued at Sh800 million. Also building luxury apartments in Kiambu and Nakuru. Gacara has also spread his wings to Rwanda where he is building a hotel.

He is also involved in commodity importation. His other businesses include packaging and selling locally produced rice as well as large- scale farming.

First business venture: Selling timber.

Advice to the youth: As a young person you bubble with energy and ideas and it is the best time to get into business.

Holiday destinations: Any place in Kenya does it for me.

Residence: A penthouse in Keleleshwa.

Ride: A Mercedes Kompressor

Marital status: Single and not searching. I am too busy. It will be unfair to have a girlfriend whom I never get time to spend with. But definitely, I plan to get married and raise a family. However, I must be able to provide for them.

Most expensive habit: Treating friends and clients. I once spent 1,000 dollars (Sh82,000) a night. Net worth: Below Sh600 million.

Contacts: My contacts are at www.propertyreality.co.ke

Kevin Muringa

Age: 40

Title: Group Chief Executive Officer of several companies with interests in construction, transport, real estate, import and export of cereals, large scale farming in Sudan and Angola. Dealing with Petroleum Products.

Background: As a high school pupil he started buying cows and selling them to Kenya Meat Commission. He made his first million at 20 years. He bought his first car at 21 and it was a Mercedes S Class. At 23 years he bought his first house in South B.

First business venture: Selling cows.

Advice to youth: Nothing comes easy. Dreams can only be true if you wake up and work on them. I am a staunch Catholic and prayers work miracles. I thank God for all I have. And as Steve Jobs said, why should I be the richest man in the cemetery? I give back to the society as well.

Holiday destinations: Two holidays per year to Bahamas, Dubai, Turkey or Mombasa. This Easter he plans to travel to Israel with his family.

Residences: Several homes in Kenya but currently moving to a Sh270 million house with expansive gardens in Westlands area.

Ride: Owns a cargo Boeing 767 and a 10,000 tonnes ocean liner. His collection of cars includes BMW 3 Series, BMW X5, Range Rover Sports, two Ford Off Road, a H2 Hummer and convertible Mustang.

Marital status: Married.

Most expensive habit: When young, I used to hire choppers every weekend to fly me out of Nairobi with a few friends. I am now too old for that. I would rather spend the money on charity.

Net worth: My war chest to campaign for Nairobi Governor is Sh2 billion, so you can guess my net worth.

Hussein Mohammed

Age: 34 years

Title: CEO Company: Humora Holdings with interest in real estate, green energy, constructipn, stocks and securities and hospitality.

Background: I come from a humble background, grew up in the slums. I know what hard life is.

First business venture: Designing and selling uniforms while still in high school. There after, I got employed. At 25, I was the national head of sales for Safaricom. I resigned a year later to focus on my business and I have no regrets.

Advice to the youth: Believe in yourself. Never give up. I have failed so many times than I have succeeded, but the successes have been astounding! It’s never too late or too early to start a business.

Holiday destinations: Two holidays a year. We love Cape Town, Thailand, or the United States. Residence: Own house, a four-bedroom home in Westlands.

Ride: Prado TX and Mercedes E-Class Marital Status: I am married with two lovely kids.

Most expensive habit: CSR, as a company, we have spent more than Sh50 million on Xtreme Sports, which is the charity venture for my businesses.

Net worth: Below Sh600 million.

Stephen Chorio

Age: 27 years

Title: Managing Director

Company: Lace Group, which has interest in luxury beauty products, chain of salons, Real estate, supply of electricity poles in Uganda and South Sudan and Car hire.

Background: Marketing degree for Methodist University. Worked at Barclays for five years before venturing into business.

First business venture: Hair salon along Ngong Road.

Advice to youth: You can have all the money in the world but no peace of mind, so do what you enjoy.

Holiday destinations: Dubai. I love desert safaris. Locally, Mombasa does it for me.

Residence: Sh12 million house in Riara.

Ride: Toyota Prado TX and 2010 Range Rover Sports

Marital status: Married with one daughter.

Most expensive habit: Clothes, hosting parties, and membership to private and exclusive golf and leisure clubs.

Mwanga Steve

Age: 36 years

Title:Managing Director at Huddersfield Group, with interests in Aviation, Agriculture, Transport, Farm machinery and equipment

Background: Business Administration degree from a US university. Started business in early 20s.

First business venture: Farming

Advice to youth: Since the youth constitute 70 per cent of the population we have the power to change Kenya. Work hard.

Holiday destinations: Turkey, where I usually shop.

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