Land management company Diamond Properties
Merchants has paid Ksh42 million to agribusiness investors who own managed
greenhouses at its farm in Kajiado County. The money, earned from the
greenhouses’ produce in the last six months, was distributed among 168
investors.
Diamond Properties Marketing Director Edwin Khiranga said the earnings are
for one season, with an eighth acre plot raking in Ksh250,000 per crop
season. With two planting seasons in a year, a single plot earns
Ksh500,000.
Khiranga said produce from the green houses – mainly cucumber, capsicum
and tomatoes – is exported to Juba, Khartoum, South Africa and Botswana.
He said agribusiness is a viable business that could accelerate economic
growth and counter foot shortage in Kenya.
“Greenhouses are on throughout the year and therefore they are not
affected by weather patterns,” he said. “For stable food supply and food
prices we need to invest more in agribusiness.”
He said Diamond Properties had launched the Faidika Premium Sacco, which
will help in financing members to acquire plots, in partnership with
Magnum Credit. The land management firm sells an eighth acre plot for
Sh500,000 and charges Sh320,000 for the greenhouse and its management.
Diamond Properties, which owns nearly 500 acres of land in Isinya,
develops and manages greenhouses. It is now running and managing more than
2,000 greenhouses under its phase 1 & 2 projects.