Farming inputs - top dressing manure for the vegetables

Entrepreneur

About Me

I am a small business owner operating a side hustle in Soy, Kakamega County. Having grown up in a town bordering the North Rift part of Kenya, I developed a passion for farming at a tender age given that this part of the country is considered the bread basket with farming being the main economic activity.
My observation of vegetables being a staple in the Kenyan diet prompted me to commence small scale vegetable farming which is slowly growing in clientele. I initially embarked on trials for kales, spinach, cow peas, cabbage and pumpkin leaves but have since focused on kales and indigenous vegetables known as managu which I sell to neighbors from my home area.

My Business

I primarily produce Vegetables including kales and Indigenous vegetables which I sell locally on a retail basis to households within my home area. On a day my sales range between Ksh 900 to 1200 depending on whether it’s a maker day as this implies that some local stall owners also make bulk purchases for onward bulk breaking and retail selling.
The challenge I face is seasonality of the vegetables as there are times when there is a glut especially during the rainy season hence over supply causes a dip in the prices. During the dry season, I do local irrigation(using a watering can) to ensure the crop received adequate water as the prices are at a peak at such times this enduring better profits.

I also try to minimize use of pesticides and herbicides as I am conscious about their effects.

I hope to see my business grow to a point whereby I can diversify it with poultry rearing

Loan Proposal

I will procure manure for top dressing my small-scale vegetable farm with a view of boosting the soil fertility thus improving chances of healthier crops that do not have any chemical applications thus leading to better yield and eventual preferred source of dietary nutrients for my clientele.

Given the fact that i do not have a compost pit with ready manure, I intend to purchase this from my neighbours who rear livestock thus utilize it to boost the soil fertility especially with the ongoing rains which will hasten the absorption rate. With boosted soil fertility, I anticipate to have quality produce which that will be more attractive to y clientele.

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