Have you been thinking of tapping into the benefits of Kenya’s export market in the Euro and the United States? Well, believe you me, you can start your own small venture right now and be a part of those who feed the nations. You only need to think about planting French beans and in less than 2 months you’ll be thinking of exporting your first produce.
French Beans Farming in Kenya
French beans grow in warm-wet parts of the country. These are areas like Thika, Murang’a, Machakos, parts of Kajiado, Uasin Gishu, Nakuru, Western Kenya and Kisumu. The soil has to be well drained and water supply should be adequate.
Step 1: Getting Started
Don’t invest in French beans until you consult local export agents for mentorship, training and market advice. This is a very important step because these are the institutions that will buy from you and sell the produce at the international market.
You will need to talk to them so you can familiarize with the right kinds of crop species, chemicals and packaging methods prior to making an investment. Examples:
*Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya (Located in New Rehema House, Rhapta Road, Westlands)
*Homegrown Kenya Limited
*VegPro Kenya Limited
*Wamu Enterprises
*Everest Enterprises
*Kenya Horticultrual Exports Limited (KHE)
Step 2: Find Arable Land and Prepare It
An acre of land typical costs Ksh5,000 to Ksh10,000 to lease per year. The best land (ideally) is one that is near an international airport so the export agents can easily access your farm.
Those targeting Nairobi may want to think of areas like Murang’a, Gatundu, Kirinyaga, Mua Hills, Ngong and Ngoliba. Lease land can also be found in places like Mwea although the soils in those areas tend to be depleted of minerals due to years and years of intensive farming.
Step 3: Find Seeds and Plant
Your export agent will be able to advice you on the best seeds, fertilizers and chemicals to use. Typically, an acre of land requires a 25Kg bag of seeds which costs Ksh22,000 on average (1 seed per hole). Note that with irrigation French beans can be grown throughout the year.
Basic Farming Tips
*Land should be ploughed and furrowed before planting season
*Single rows of 30cmx15cm or double rows of 60cmx30cm are recommended
*You’ll require about 80 Kgs DAP and 60Kgs of CAN fertilizer per acre. NPK fertilizer may also be used on less fertile land to stimulate crop flowering.
*Pesticides like “Confidor” and “Thunder” can be used
Step 4: The Harvest
French beans take around 50 days to mature after which you can harvest them over the next 8 weeks. On average an acre piece of land can yield 4 to 6 tonnes of crop. Note that, because these are highly perishable crops, it is important to harvest when there’s ready market.
How Much To Invest
In order to start a fully-fledged farm (including leasing the farm, ploughing, irrigation, seeds, labour, fertilizer and chemicals) you’ll need to set aside a budget of at least Ksh130,000. This cost may actually reduce with successive planting seasons.
How Much To Expect
During the high season (September to March), you can sell a Kilogram of your produce at an average price of Ksh100. Thus if you harvest 5 tonnes from your acre piece of land over period of 2 months then the returns would amount to Ksh500,000.
The low season in this business lasts between April and August and prices per kilo tend to plummet to Ksh50 on average.
Final Word
It’s not a must to become a full-time farmer in order to engage in this business. And you don’t need to be a landowner either. All you need to do is get mentorship from those who understand the business of exporting products, lease a piece of land near your current place of residence, hire labourers and only visit the farm once or twice a week.
So, YES, you can actually start this as a side-hustle as you explore further options to enhance your investment strategies.
Would you like to give French beans farming in Kenya a try? Share your questions, thoughts and opinions with us via the comment box.
