This archive report was first published on 30 November 2019.
November 30, 2019, marked a significant turning point for Caroline Mutindi, a 30-year-old banker who had been working for a commercial bank in Kitengela, Kajiado County. She had been juggling her job as a customer service attendant with her passion for farming, but it was no longer tenable. So, she made the bold decision to quit her job and focus on agribusiness full-time.
Today, Caroline's nine-acre farm in Kitui and Makueni counties is a thriving enterprise that hosts a variety of crops, including okra, sukuma wiki, and chilli. Her typical day involves supervising dozens of workers as they plant, weed, and harvest the crops.
Okra is Caroline's favorite crop, and she grows it on three acres of her farm. The crop matures in just 45 days, and Caroline sells it to groceries in Mutomo, Ikutha, Kibwezi, and Makindu townships. She also sells the flowering plant to clients in Nairobi at between Sh40 and Sh50 per kilo.
Chilli, on the other hand, is grown on three acres of the farm and is sold to an agent in the United Arab Emirates at between Sh40 and Sh80 per kilo. Caroline's farming venture has been a huge success, and she attributes it to her ability to time the harvests to coincide with periods of low supply.
Caroline's advice to women who want to venture into agribusiness is to consider leasing land, as it can be a challenge to own land. She also emphasizes the importance of adopting appropriate technologies, accessing inputs, and marketing collectively to ensure the sustainability of their ventures.
George Kamami, a horticulture and land-use expert, agrees with Caroline's advice. He notes that the use of technologies such as drip irrigation can promote efficient use of water and reduce conflicts over the shared resource. He also advises farmers to embrace climate-smart machines such as rippers to prepare the land.
