Ripe pawpaw fruits. Smallholders across the East Africa region to get market after buyer accepts delivery from all. Photo courtesy.
Unlike other companies which normally place tough-tender rules that lockout cash-starved low scale producers, Fresh a Juici Ltd has loosened the supply tender rules to allow all producers either in groups or individuals to deliver their fresh fruits.
The Limuru based company in Nairobi has its branches in Mombasa and outside the country in Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda and all their customers are advised to deliver the produce at designated warehouses, mostly located near the supermarket’s outlets where they are checked for quality and weighed.
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Contract and delivery procedure
All a farmer has to do is to sign a delivery contract which states the type of fruit, quantity and payment mode at the company’s head office located in Limuru.
During the time, the farmer should come with samples of the fruits he has produced so as to be advised on whether the quality meets the company’s threshold.
‘’The prices are negotiated according to the prevailing market prices as the company does not condone exploitation. Furthermore, the company also provides free advisory services to such farmers as a means of improving their business,’’ reads the statement posted on the company’s website.
Currently, the firm deals with at least 80 per cent of their suppliers are local small scale farmers while it supplies the fruits to various supermarket outlets and food retail chains across East Africa bringing a new market to the doorsteps of rural smallholder fruit farmers.
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Normally, such farmers would only sell their produce through hawking in local markets, often incurring huge losses due to the perishable nature of their produce.
Apart from fruits, the company has two other businesses; Shree Ganesh Vegetable Limited and Fresh Squeeze, both of which deal in the supply of vegetables and fresh fruit juice in supermarket stalls around East Africa.
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The company can be reached on 0733 333376/ 0202325945 or Email: info@freshanjuici.co.ke