Olive Island Enterprises chilli puree products. Photo courtesy.
Teddy Ngoba, a Kenyan industrialist who ventured into value addition last year to manufacture chilli puree is now providing a group of women farmers from the coast with a ready market for their produce that they could hurriedly sell at low prices to avoid post-harvest losses.
According to him, the farmers were just selling their bird eyed chilli variety pods at open air markets in Kilifi County at about Sh70 per kilo until he approached them through a connection and since then he has been buying the produce from them at a well negotiated price.
“I got introduced to this group by my elder sister who is also a member and after which I advised them that they needed to dry the pods after harvesting then I would collect from them and transport it to Nairobi for processing,” said Ngoba.
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In addition, he also has specific farmers spread across the country whom he buys from on contract as he would like steady supply and who cannot commit themselves can be very difficult to work with.
“For instance, I have a woman trader at Ngara in Nairobi who also grows bird eyed chilli in Machakos County. She has been supplying my plant since last year January when I started this business.”
Ngoba has since set his company, Olive Island Enterprises based in Nairobi’s Industrial area, its processing base.
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From here he manufactures three varieties of chilli puree which include hot, milled and chutney chilli purees from his processing plant which has a capacity of producing 500 cartons every week and 10,000 cartons in a month.
“The system which entails a number of processes to ensure the products are naturally manufactured takes 3-4 days to produce 500 cartons,” said Ngoba.
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He used to supply to Nakumatt supermarket before the retail chain started experiencing problems that left him exploring other markets for his produce.
“I am currently pursuing Naivas and Tuskys supermarkets but meanwhile I sell to shops, local markets and online through the company’s Facebook page where I get orders to supply.”
He sells a carton at Sh2,000.
Ngoba can be reached on +254706 544 746 / +254724 985 428