Contrary to the modern generation stereotype that associates farming with ‘dirty work for peasants,’ true wealth lies in the soil. Farming is the source of produce that human beings rely on.

In 2010, when Peter Mwangi chose to invest in his late father’s unused land, he saw the potential that lay in agriculture. As a biology and agriculture teacher at a local school, Mwangi’s life changed after embracing pineapple farming.

The degree in Education holder started his venture on a small 1-acre plot. He has since evolved into a large-scale farmer, doing over 20 acres of land.

“Before I started pineapple farming, I was a teacher teaching Agriculture and Biology in a local school around my home,” Mwangi said.

“After 2 years, I decided to go into farming. By then, my parents had passed away and as I was going to school, I was thinking of what to do to make use of the farm.”

He started with an initial capital of Sh. 500,000, covering expenses for manure, seeds, labour, and other miscellaneous costs.

Mwangi stated that from the 1,200 seeds he’d bought, each seedling yielded 3 or 4. This multiplication resulted in a total of 4,000 seedlings that he eventually planted.

As a first-time farmer, he mostly did small-scale farming until a year later when he bought a car, that he used to transport Pineapples to Nairobi.

“When I started by an acre, I had customers. They included my teacher colleagues, parents of students and people living around me,” he said.

“After a year, I bought a car which I used to transport pineapples to Nairobi and when you have regular customers you have to expand.”

Mwangi finds joy in farming because he can provide jobs for young people. He pays them Sh. 400 per day.

My secret to making millions from pineapple farming in Kenya

He advised those interested in starting pineapple farming to get land first. It’s also important to use certified seeds, and one should be ready to invest time because pineapples need consistent monitoring and care.

Once pineapple seeds are planted, harvest can begin after 1 year and 8 months. After that, it continues every 2 weeks until the pineapple plant reaches the end of its lifespan, which is about 8 years.

On one acre of land, pineapple plants can yield up to 14,000 pieces per year. The farm gate prices for pineapples are Sh. 50.