Farmers during the farmers festival in Kiambu county.
Last weekend’s harvest Farmers Festival in Kiambu County, was an eye-opener to farmers, mainly the youth and women. The groups got a perfect opportunity for networking, market and value addition.
The three-day festival at the Nairobi Farmers Market on Kiambu Road attracted farmers and value-adders from Kiambu County and beyond to showcase their farm produce, products and seek markets.
Uprising Youth Farmers Group secretary Mumbi Boro said the experience would enable them to expand their farming activities. “We are herbs and vegetable farmers, but we have learnt we can also go into cultivation and sale of seedlings, which are more marketable,” she said.
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Apart from commercial vegetable farmers, seedlings are purchased by people who want to grow their own vegetables in small home gardens or even on verandahs.
The Uprising Group member Lucy Wangari said farmers got the opportunity to meet individual customers and retailers.
“The stall owners were interested in our commodities and some actually gave us orders,” she revealed. Tasher Botanicals grows pumpkins and adds value by extracting oil from the seeds, roasting seeds to produce chewable snacks and flour. A representative of the company said the festival experience included networking with consumers, farmers, value addition organisations, and new markets.
“We have never displayed our products anywhere before and this is a big launch for us. We have interacted with customers, got their views on our products including how they would like us to market them. Many have asked us to join the kadogo economy by packing our products in smaller packs,” said the official.
Visitors to the Tasher ‘stand’ learnt various nutritional and health benefits of the pumpkin and its products, especially the extracted oil which was new to many. The oil is said to be beneficial in prostate and bladder health, in lowering cholesterol and alleviating menopausal symptoms.
Jerry Gitau, an oyster mushroom farmer from Kilimambogo, showcased his products, explaining the benefits of eating mushrooms. He grows, dries, packs and sells mushrooms.
Gitau urged the county government to assist farmers with expertise through extension officers. Kiambu Governor James Nyoro promised to promote agribusiness by ensuring farmers get ready market.
