Afande Moses, a contractor and content creator from Kisii, has proven the fact that farming can be an excellent hustle.
The businessman switched his digital marketing to a massive maize cultivation farm, and the statistics are eloquent enough.
Curious whether farming would earn him more than what he was getting in his official job, Afande rented out 12 acres of land in Narok County. Following the urge of President William Ruto to invest in agriculture, he decided to venture into the production of maize.
Renting out the land was at Sh120,000. The farming cultivating cost attracted an extra Sh36000, and the planting cost stood at about Sh100,000, costing him about Sh230,000 as an investment.
At the current market prices, Afande is likely to get Sh690,000 after selling his harvest of maize. This would leave him with a profit of Sh460,000.
“If I do this twice a year, I can make close to a million,” he said.
Cyrus Kiprotich: Self-taught farmer supplying passion fruit to Kenyan Originals
Afande pointed out the need for people to do their research before engaging in farming. He also gave some insights on theft, whereby farmers who plant outside the local community calendar are at a disadvantaged position as far as theft is concerned.
“To reduce theft, you plant when everyone else does. That way, it’s harder to be singled out,” he explained.
Even though he is uncertain about the cost of large-scale farming, he is confident that when it comes to maize, it is manageable compared to the crops affected by pests and diseases.
Afande encourages other influencers to break into farming, not as a topic of content, but as a way of earning. He stated that some farmers sell the maize when green to the buyers who will roast it or boil it; therefore, sales are made before full maturity of the crops.
“Nothing pays more than agriculture, as long as you have startup capital,” he added