Billionaire Industrialist Chris Kirubi’s Centum Investment has signed up 250 farmers in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua County in an outgrower programme for its agriculture subsidiary Greenblade Growers, with a daily production capacity of six tonnes of herbs and vegetables.
The Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed firm set up the wholly-owned agriculture subsidiary in Ol-Kalou in 2016 after acquiring a 120 acre piece of land for Sh. 89 million.
“During the financial year (ending March 2018), management mainly focused on the operationalisation of 15 acres of greenhouse and a pack house with a daily capacity of six tonnes,” Centum says in its 2018 annual report released this week.
“The business also partnered with approximately 250 small scale farmers on an out-grower model to supply vegetables such as sugar snaps, snow peas, fine beans, runner beans and baby corn. In addition, we acquired six export clients spurring revenue growth.”
To support the venture, Centum said it has made significant capital investments which includes the construction and completion of production infrastructure works and the construction of 58,000 cubic meter capacity water reservoir.
The company targets the EU market in the venture—mainly the Netherlands and the United Kingdom— concentrating on growing exotic herbs that are popular with buyers in Europe.
In addition to the produce already being supplied by outgrower farmers, Centum had said it will also produce coriander, parsley, dill, chives, tarragon, lemongrass, mint and rosemary.
“In the current financial year, key focus is to increase production volume by increasing the area under production and recruiting more out-growers, onboarding more export and domestic clients.