Undoubtedly, the secret to high profits in farming lies in value addition and processing of farm produce.
Victoria Mumo, a small-scale farmer from Kithimani village, Yatta subcounty in Machakos county can attest to this after raking fortune from adding value to sweet potatoes and making nutritious flour.
Mumo revealed she switched to value addition after years of working without getting value for her hard work. She adds value to orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, lemon grass, hibiscus, guard, and mito (slenderleaf) seeds.
She notes that by adding value to sweet potatoes, she is able to sell even when there is scarcity of the produce in the market, and at that time the prices are better.
She explains that her products are very nutritious, and she is able to reach more consumers.
For instance, the Mito, a traditional vegetable, Mumo says that it is rich in health benefits such as improving blood flow and cleansing, improving eye health, strengthening bones, nourishing the skin, and boosting body immunity.
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The farmer explains that the sweet potatoes take three months to mature, after which she harvests them to make flour.
“The crop is ready for harvest after three months. I then sort the sweet potatoes and weigh. They are then cleaned for two to three times as hygiene is key in this process,” Mumo says.
“After that they are cut and washed again with warm water. The material is then dried for one to two days depending on the sunshine, after that it is blended into flour,” She adds.
According to her, the flour can be used to make porridge, chapati or ugali but you have to mix it with maize or wheat flour before making the meal of your choice.
She sells her produce locally or during agricultural expos, shows or conferences, with a 250gm packet of the orange-fleshed sweet potato flour going for Sh200, 500gm for Sh400 and one kilo sells at Sh800.
On the other hand, a 250gm packet of lemon grass sells at Sh350, 500gm at Sh700 and 1kg at Sh1,400.
She attributes her success to the training and support she got from the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN).
The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) says orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are one of the richest natural sources of beta carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body.
The crop is said to be the sixth most important food crop after rice, wheat, Irish potatoes, maize and cassava in Kenya.
