In the verdant landscapes of Taita Taveta, a growing number of young graduates are choosing to embrace agriculture as a viable and rewarding career path.
One such trailblazer is Agnes Waithera, a 26-year-old graduate from Moi University with a degree in Education.
Instead of succumbing to the traditional job-hunting grind, Agnes took a leap of faith and ventured into farming, a decision that would prove to be both enriching and financially rewarding.
Upon her graduation in 2019, Agnes found herself disillusioned with the typical job-seeking process.
She sought an alternative that would not only keep her occupied but also provide her with a steady source of income.
After careful consideration, she settled on farming as her path to success.
Farming offered Agnes a unique sense of purpose, and she was particularly drawn to contract farming, a modern agricultural approach that involves an agreement between the buyer and the farm producers.
For her, this model promised a guaranteed market and better prices for her produce.
With this newfound motivation, she began her farming journey, planting six acres of groundnuts at her family home in the picturesque village of Mata, Taita Taveta.
“I have learnt from other farmers, the returns are good and growing the crop is labour intensive, unlike other crops. The company that has contracted me will be buying one kilo of groundnuts at Sh85,” Agnes shared during an Interview with the Star.
The promise of earnings combined with the sense of fulfillment from nurturing the land and watching her crops grow appealed to her entrepreneurial spirit.
The groundnut project, initiated in 2018/2019 under the Feed the Future program in collaboration with the Taita Taveta county government, has provided Agnes and other young farmers with a remarkable opportunity to transform their lives.
The program encompasses two main value chains: Irish potatoes in the highland areas and drought-tolerant crops like sorghum, green grams, groundnuts, and pigeon peas in the lowland regions of Voi, Mwatate, and Taveta.
Davis Mwangoma, the Taita Taveta Agriculture executive, explains that the program is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Feed the Future. It aims to boost agricultural productivity and establish sustainable linkages between farmers and markets.
Under contract farming, young farmers like Agnes can secure a market for their produce in advance. By knowing the price at which they can sell their groundnuts, they can plan their cultivation and budgeting more efficiently.
The assurance of a ready market has been a game-changer for farmers who previously struggled with uncertain income streams.
“Contract farming provides stability and reduces the risks involved in traditional farming,” Davis says. “By linking farmers with the market, we are not only empowering them financially but also promoting agricultural practices that are beneficial to the entire community.”
The groundnut crop holds immense promise for the farmers of Taita Taveta. With careful planning and management, Agnes expects to make substantial profits.
The company that has contracted her will buy one kilo of groundnuts at Sh85, and with a potential yield of one ton per acre, Agnes anticipates making almost Sh500,000 from her six-acre plot.
“If I manage to harvest one ton in an acre, I will be assured of making Sh85,000. So in six acres, that will be almost Sh500,000,” Agnes Waithera revealed.
Furthermore, Davis shares that through gross margins, a farmer can expect to make Sh80,000 per acre, with average expenses of Sh20,000, considering irrigation, inputs, and harvesting costs. Thus, farmers cultivating five acres can potentially earn Sh400,000.
The county government has played a crucial role in supporting the groundnut project. They have facilitated the establishment of groups like the Taita Taveta Nafaka Growers Cooperative Society and Taugi Cooperative Society to aggregate farmers’ produce.
These groups help streamline the supply chain and ensure that quality products reach the market.
Additionally, they aid in providing farmers with access to improved seed varieties and essential agricultural training, further enhancing productivity and sustainability.
The benefits of contract farming extend beyond individual farmers, positively impacting the local economy.
Previously, the company that Agnes is now contracted with used to import groundnuts from Argentina and India for peanut butter production.
However, by contracting local farmers in Taita Taveta, the company is bolstering the local economy and supporting Kenyan agriculture.
As more young graduates like Agnes explore the potential of agriculture, the Taita Taveta county government continues to promote sustainable farming practices.
By encouraging the cultivation of groundnuts, a crop suitable for nitrogen fixation, they are contributing to environmental preservation and long-term soil fertility.
