Meet Grace Wangechi Kamande, a 27-year-old native of Kirinyaga County in Kenya, who has transformed adversity into prosperity through her thriving maize farming enterprise.
Kamande’s foray into agriculture was triggered by the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which halted her hairstyling business in the bustling city.
Seeking a new path to self-reliance, Kamande turned to the rural landscapes of her native Kirinyaga County.
Faced with uncertainty, she embarked on a new path – one that led her to the fields of maize farming.
Initially, Kamande attempted rain-fed farming, a traditional method that yielded limited success.
Undeterred, she recognized the need for innovation and shifted her approach towards embracing modern irrigation techniques.
This transformation marked a significant turning point in her farming endeavors.
In an intriguing twist of fate, Kamande’s path intersected with a man from the Nyanza region who provided her with a lifeline – a capital infusion of Ksh 250,000.
“Since we hadn’t agreed on marriage, I took the Ksh250,000 capital and ventured into my father’s land where I launched my farming journey,” she said.
However, her initial season of farming did not unfold as planned.
After accounting for expenses such as fertilizers, labor, and seeds, Kamande’s profit amounted to a modest Ksh2,000.
Displaying patience and perseverance, Kamande nurtured her maize crops for three months until they were ready for the market.
Her dedication paid off as she harvested around 10,000 green maize cobs, each fetching a price of Ksh8.
Yet, Kamande faced a financial challenge as her initial capital dwindled to Ksh120,000. Recognizing the need for expert guidance, she sought advice from Yara, a reputable agricultural company.
With their assistance, Kamande embraced irrigation farming, a decision that significantly reduced her production costs and increased her efficiency.
Kamande’s hard work and dedication resulted in a monthly supply of approximately 50,000 green maize cobs to the market.
The cyclic nature of business during dry and rainy seasons led to varying prices.
“During the dry season, business thrives as the price per cob rises to Sh30, whereas during the rainy season, it drops to Sh5,” she tells Taifa Leo Digital during an interview.
Amid these fluctuations, she acknowledges that professional assistance has helped reduce her production costs by 45%, down from an initial 70%, since she began her maize cultivation journey.
“Today, maize is my livelihood, and soon I hope to become a self-made millionaire through maize farming, while also branching out into dairy and poultry farming,” she asserts.
She calls upon the government to further reduce production costs for farmers to boost profit margins.
Kamande envisions that “the agricultural business sector holds the promise of ushering in a new wave of millionaires in the near future.”
Upon achieving her goals, she plans to make decisions regarding marriage and starting a family after acquiring her own piece of land to launch farming ventures outside her father’s compound.
