By Fadhili Fredrick
A leading chili processing and export company is looking for more farmers in Kenya to meet the growing demand of the product for its export market.
Equator Kenya Limited currently has at least 8,000 contracted farmers registered and organized into 400 groups in the coast region growing African birds eye chilies.
The company’s Production Manager Mr Michael Maina says the company has teamed up farmers in a program aimed at generating and increasing farm revenue.
He says they established a contract farming scheme to scale up an impactful and income-generating project that supports small farmers and the company simultaneously.
The contract is renewable on annual basis, signed in the presence of an area chief and the ministry of agriculture to minimize arising disputes.
The farmers are spread across the four counties of the coast region including Kilifi, Lamu, Tana River and Taita Taveta.
Apart from concentrating its farming activities in the coast, the company has as well spread its wings to Isiolo, Meru, Laikipia, Kajiado and Kiambu counties.
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“We are working in rural areas by mobilizing individuals and groups with common interest to raise income generating ventures to improve their wellbeing,” says Mr Maina.
He says the company is responsible for farmer mobilization, training modules on chili farming and field support.
The chili training series include land preparations, nursery setting, transplanting, crop nutrition, pest control, harvest and post harvest as well as leadership contract farming and groups dynamics.
“The chili training series will impart knowledge about growing the crop, ensure farmers understand how to meet quality standards and aim to maximize yields,” he adds.
Mr Maina says the company is leveraging its program’s strength and sharing responsibilities to ensure a success of the project by purchasing farmers produce and market the chilies.
The chilies can be sold either afresh or dried.
He says a kilo of fresh and dried chilies goes for Sh70 and Sh290 respectively.
“We offer bonuses to motivate group and individual farmers who exceed the set targets,” says Mr Maina .
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Mr Maina says they have solidified partnerships with other Non Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) working with communities to recruit members willing to start chili farming.
“We get requests from NGO’s and use them as a platform to recruit more farmers, and take them through our training,” he says, adding that they recruit and conduct online training to individual farmers.