This archive report was first published on 6 July 2019.
On a dry farm in Kathonzweni, Makueni County, Samuel Musili has defied the odds by cultivating aloe vera, a crop that has been largely unknown in the region for years.
It all began in 2006 when Musili visited Baringo and saw the aloe plants thriving in the semi-arid region. He returned home with aloe suckers and planted them on his farm, which then only hosted mangoes, moringa, and pigeon peas.
Today, Musili has over 7,000 aloe vera plants on about two acres, with more than 5,000 of them mature. He sells the leaves to Herbal Garden in Nairobi at Sh30 per kilo and also sells aloe vera sprouts for planting to fellow farmers at Sh20 each.
"We are selling aloe vera leaves at Sh30 a kilo to Herbal Garden, which processes juice," says Wilmot Mbaka, another farmer who has 4,000 plants, having started with 100 suckers.
Gerishon Nzuva, a retired senior deputy-director of agriculture, notes that aloe vera's many uses have remained largely unknown for years. "The plant is versatile. As an ingredient, you can use it with virtually any health product," he says.
According to Nzuva, there are about 300 different varieties of aloe vera in the country, each with its unique uses, ranging from making juices, soap, detergents, shampoo, herbal remedies, food supplements, and flavoring to aloe vera herbal tea and jelly oils.
Women harvest mature aloe vera at Samuel Musili's farm in Makueni. PHOTO | BRIAN OKINDA | NMG
Dr. Dennis Tongoi, a director at Herbal Garden, says they require at least 10 tonnes of aloe vera leaves every week for making aloe juice and other products.
He notes that aloe juice is used in preventing stomach ulcers, controlling and stabilizing blood sugar levels, providing vitamins, treating gum inflammations and constipation, keeping one hydrated, and helping in digestion.
