Growing squash, tomatoes, and watermelons

Entrepreneur

About Me

I was born on the 25th. December 1980. I grew up in the village under the care of my grandmother. Having my old grandma as my guardian angel at that young age really prepared me for the life that was ahead of me. At the age of nine years and in class three, I had started to learn how to be independent.I always looked at my grandmother and sympathised with her and could not ask anything from her, not even school books or uniform. To get money for buying the things that I needed, I would accompany the older kids in the village to some sugarcane plantations about 14kms away. We would wake up very early so as to reach the farms before sunrise. We would buy sugarcane which we later sold in the village and made profit.I would buy sugarcane at 20 shillings and sell for between 80-100 shillings. I did this during holydays and by the time schools were opened, I would have enough money to buy my school books, uniform and give the remaining to my old grandma which she used to buy food. So early in life I learnt how to cook, fetch water from the lake and the river and to fetch firewood from the bush. I even tilt our shamba(garden) very well.
I did my primary education and passed. My aunt was impressed with my perfomance in school so she paid for my secondary education.
After my secondary education, I moved to the city to look for a job. I got a job with company X as a messanger. I registered and took a course in accounting. I worked for the company for nine years. In those years I learnt the art of doing business. Doing the same thing at the same place everyday over the years became abit boring so I quit my job. I needed to do something more challenging. I registered my company, did some marketing and got my first orders faster than I had imagined. A problem then arose in the name of WORKING CAPITAL. I had to think fast and came up with the idea of including farming as part of my business. Farming needed less capital to start and I was assured of growth.
I am a husband and a father to a five year old boy in class one. During my free time, I do exercise and read books. Everyday at dawn I either run 15kms or train with light weights before I start my work. Doing exercise has made my ability to work in the farm look very easy. I dont supervise the people who work for me, instead I work with them. I have also learnt much just by reading.

My Business

Cyrrently I am involved mainly in agribusiness. I plant tomatoes, watermelon and vegetable e.g kales in a reasonable quantity. This I do under flood irrigation. I have got land through lease along the lake. Availability of water makes my work possible throughout the year.
Apart from watermelon whose buyers come from far or neighbouring towns, the other crops have market readily available just within the area.I had never imagined that this agribusiness idea would be a source of income not only to me but also to other hundreds of people who earn their daily income from activities resulting from this business idea i.e transportation of farm produce. Working on the farm and selling products from the farm to make profit. My business is about the production of food and food is a basic need.
The beauty about this kind of business is that I only plan as per the capital available to me. For every 30shillings I spend per plant, I get a gross income of between 80-150shillings or more depending on the law of demand and supply. The crops that I plant takes between two to three months to harvest. The cost involves purchase of seeds, land lease,irrigation,land preparation and tilting, weeding and even spraying.
I chose this type of business because it needed less capital to start. The profit has helped me to purchase waterpump, irrigation materials, farm implements like wheelbarrows, knapsack sprayers. The profit also caters for my daily needs. I pay school fee, rent and bills. This business, even though still small, has made many others to look foward to it as a source of their daily income just like me. I am encouraged by the African saying 'the largest mogumo(oak) tree you see arround was once a tiny seedling that held its ground'.

Loan Proposal

CROPS TO BE PLANTED
1. watermelon 1000 plants
2.Tomatoe 2500 plants(already planted).
3.Butternut 500 plants
The farm has been leased to me for a period of 12 months and I have paid fully. Ploughing has been done and the first crop (Tomatoe) has been planted.
WHY THE THREE CROPS?
1. I have planted the crops for two years, acquiring the necessary skills that is needed to make them successful.
2. I have created a market for the crops and the market is readily available. Immediately they are ready, my clients collects them from my firm. From within the community where I do farming and beyond, people have created small businesses for themselves by selling these crops. I strive to ensure constant production so that their (my clients) businesses does not stop any day for lack of supplies. It is good for both of us!
3. From planting to harvesting, the crops take an average of 90 days. That is very good for business.

MY LOAN REQUEST = 295
. USD.
Purpose for the loan.
1. Watermelon seed(sukari F1) 30.9
100grams
2. Butternut 250grams 21.3
3. Fertilizer DAP 50kg. 39.2
4. Fertilizer NPK 50kg. 37.2
5. Fertilizer CAN 25kg. 18.1
6. Fungicide. 33.3
7.Insecticide. 20.1
8. Boomflower foliarspray. 9.3
8. 1st and 2nd weeding 84.3
TOTAL. 293.8
Every coin I receive from Zidisha community, I 'plant' into the garden and the outcome is amazing! A blessing to myself and my community.
I look foward to your support. Thank you in advance.

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