Sukuma Wiki Farming: When he left the military after six years of service due to injury on the left eye, many expected Shem Modi to easily look for a job at a security firm or start a private company. After all, he was a well-trained shooter and fire fighter from the Lanet Armed Forces Training College.
Instead, he picked a jembe, wore some gumboots and headed to his two-acre farm. His peers jeered at him for wasting his military training ‘toiling’ on the farms and some of his family members riled at him for picking up a lowly job.
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However, the former service man ignored the noise around him and dedicated his time and energy to farming. With the Sh200,000 he had saved, Modi planted tomatoes and waited. When harvest time came, he was Sh700,000 richer.
“This silenced everyone who was nagging me for not using my military skills better,” says Modi. As a man who earned a basic salary of Sh20,000 plus other allowances, he was excited at the prospects of farming and diversified to kale farming in his two-acre kale farm in Lak Liech village, Karachuonyo in Homa Bay.
He says he fetches Sh89,000 from a weekly harvest of sukuma wiki. On average, the farmer says he earns about Sh. 1.4m from kale production every season translating to a monthly income of Sh. 356,000. Modi says he got into farming in 2012 after his six-year military career ended.
He says he got an injury while in service that prompted the surgery. “I was injured in my left eye and had a surgery. However, the recovery was not as I anticipated and I had to leave,” Modi says.
He says his interest in farming developed after training by Kimira-Oluch Irrigation project by the Ministry of Regional Development and African Development Bank. “I am proof that farming is not for the lowly and cursed or a deadbeat undertaking,” he says.
He targets high demand in November, December, January, March and April depending on how long drought prolongs. Apart from kales, he has also invested Sh150,000 in tomatoes growing on a one and a half acre farm and hopes to rake in Sh1m from the harvest by mid-this month when there is scarcity in supply.
Hi modi i also want to be a farmer,can you give me your Tel?
Great article. However, “averagely” is incorrect! the right use is: On average
This is really great. I hope to venture into agribusiness soon. I’ll go by your advice. Not replicating what I see in other firms
got me thinking hard,,, nice progress may God continue blessing the work of ur hands
you have inspired me a lot……….. may God bless you more
Grate inspiration, we need to think outside the box.
Follow me . There is gold in our area
An area which has not been utilized for years. Best for agri-business along river tana.
Am looking for an interested partner . Plz call me on this no. 0724582740
An area which has not been exploited for years suitable for small scale farming. At Golbanti village along the river tana
Any one who is interested can partner with me to venture into agribusiness
0724582740
“Averagely, the farmer says he earns less than Sh1.4m from kale production every season translating to a monthly income of Sh356,000.”…good story but I think the figures are not correct. 1.4m per season cannot translate to 356k monthly.