A Facebook user has sparked debate online after revealing his earnings from his job and farming side hustle, seeking advice on whether to leave formal employment and venture fully into farming.
The man, who shared his story in the popular Facebook community Tujengane, said he has been in employment for nearly 10 years and currently earns a monthly salary of Shs30,000.
He disclosed that through disciplined saving over the years, he has accumulated slightly over Shs600,000. In 2022, he ventured into dragon fruit farming on a quarter-acre piece of land while maintaining his full-time job.
According to his account, the investment has started showing promise. He said he began harvesting the crop last year and produced about 200 kilogrammes, which he sold at Sh200 per kilogramme, earning Shs40,000 from the first harvest.
He added that the crop is still relatively young and expects production to rise significantly as the plants mature.
The man said he has been seriously considering resigning from his job to focus fully on farming and explore related agribusiness opportunities. However, he admitted that he is unsure about the decision, calling for advice from other users.
“I have been employed for close to 10 years, currently earning a salary of Sh30,000 per month. Over the years, I have managed to save slightly over Shs600,000. In 2022, I ventured into dragon fruit farming on a quarter-acre piece of land while still employed . I started harvesting last year and managed to produce about 200 kg, which I sold at Sh200 per kg, earning Shs40,000,” he stated.
“The crop is still young and I expect production to increase as the plants mature.Lately, I have been contemplating resigning from my job and dedicating my time fully to farming and related agribusiness opportunities. However, I am torn between keeping the security of employment and taking the risk of pursuing farming full-time.If you were in my position, would you resign and focus on farming, or would you continue working while expanding the farm gradually?,” he added.
Responding to the questions, various users recommended building consistent income streams and expanding gradually before abandoning salaried employment, especially when the farming venture is still in its early stages.
The users observed that while farming can yield higher returns, it also comes with risks such as unpredictable weather, market fluctuations, and production challenges.
Below are some of the responses:
Vintytere Wambui: First, congratulations. Saving over Sh600,000 on a Sh30,000 salary while establishing a dragon fruit farm is no small achievement. It shows discipline, patience, and a willingness to think beyond a paycheck.
If I were in your position, I would be very careful about resigning immediately. The fact that you’re asking the question suggests that part of you is still seeking certainty, and farming, like any business, rarely offers certainty.
Your current job may not be making you wealthy, but it is helping you finance your dream while reducing pressure on the farm. Once you resign, the farm stops being a promising venture and becomes responsible for paying all your bills, and that changes everything emotionally and financially.
Before resigning, I would want to see consistent harvests, reliable markets, and farm income that can comfortably support my living expenses for several seasons—not just one good harvest. I would also want enough savings to cover at least 12 months of expenses in case things don’t go according to plan.
From what you’ve shared, I would continue working while expanding the farm gradually. Let the farm prove itself over time. When the income from farming becomes consistently strong and predictable, the decision to leave employment will feel less like a leap of faith and more like a natural next step.
Remember, there’s no shame in building your dream slowly. Sometimes the safest path is also the one that gives the dream the best chance of succeeding.
Aaron Nganga: You earned 40,000 last year telephone farming, you also earned 360,000 from your employer. Now ask yourself, do you know what dragon fruits need to make you 300k a year? If you don’t…use the remaining days in 2026 to be a professional on Dragon fruit. Own the entire chain from production to marketing and sales to supply. After you have confirmed you can be employed by dragon fruit….you can leave your job.
Phillip Dande: Run with both concurrently,do a realistic forecast of both options and ask yourself what the next 5 years will look like (which side of the two will grow or recede and by how much).
That should guide you on where to spend more of your time and resources to get that aspect to that number.
At the end of every year, compare your actual achieved to the 5 year plan and that result should then be factored into the decision to quit or shoulder on while considering other pertinent factors that could exist at the time of review eg, family, health,worklife balance, age to retirement, experience, skills gap, future financial needs, changing ecosystems etc.
Its a fairly complex decision but with the right underlying information you can arrive at the best move to make whether to stay or bail out and farm.
Also Read: Low-cost agribusiness ideas that will make you rich
