This archive report was first published on 15 October 2019.
On a 10-acre private forest in Mt Elgon, Bungoma County, a group of farmers have found a way to earn a living while conserving the environment.
The farmers, under the Kenya Agriculture Reforms Elgon Unit Managing Programme for Youth in Agriculture (Kareu Mpya), a community-based organisation, have pooled resources to set up the private forest with medicinal trees and almost 100 beehives.
Started nine years ago with a Sh1,000 investment from each of the 24 members, the returns have been encouraging.
‘Prunus Africana is one of our treasured trees due to its medicinal value. The plant is used to treat prostate cancer among other diseases, fetching us more money than traditional maize farming,’ says Emmanuel Masake, the project manager.
The group has more than 500 Prunus Africana trees, expecting to earn over Sh300,000 from it upon harvest.
Aside from using the trees for medicinal purposes, they also help in conserving the environment.
The group has invested in modern bee-keeping, earning them about Sh600,000 annually.
‘A kilogramme of honey goes for about Sh300 and one beehive can produce about 15 kilos which is good money to the group,’ says Mr Masake.
The group has launched aggressive marketing strategy securing local and international buyers for the honey products.
‘Apart from the local markets in the western Kenya region, our honey products have penetrated markets in the United States of America and Ghana due to its high quality,’ The group’s Site manager Paul Etyang told Enterprise.
