Zachary Murori is the proprietor behind the popular 5-acre Murori Apex Herbs farm that sits in Majogi village in Meru County.
Murori was previously a maize and beans farmer but realized the crops fetched low profits against his wish, prompting him to explore more crops.
“I grew maize and beans for a while but was always on the lookout for crops that would fetch better prices. I realized herbs were on high demand,” Murori told Seeds of Gold.
On his farm, Murori grows lemon grass, citronella, hibiscus, sweet purple hibiscus, aloe vera, turmeric, ginger, and other medicinal plants.
He sells his produce both locally and abroad. Prices vary, depending on individual herbs, season, and whether it is fresh or dry.
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For the fresh lemon grass, a kilo goes for Sh50 to Sh100, while the dried grass is Sh400 to Sh600, with stalks going for Sh100 to Sh200. The price of citronella fresh leaves ranges from Sh50 and Sh100 a kilo. Dried leaves sell for up to Sh600.
On the other hand, the price of fresh hibiscus ranges between Sh 50 to Sh80, while dried petals can go for up to Sh1,250.
Planting the Herbs
For lemongrass and Citronella, the herb’s stalk is the planting material and is planted into a hole that is a meter apart. The herbs are grown for their leaves, and harvesting is done every two to three months.
After harvesting, the leaves are chopped and put in a drier for three to five days and packed with respect to a customer’s preference.
For hibiscus, Murori says he often plants the seeds employing a spacing of 0.5 meters from one plant to the other and one meter between rows.
The herb is grown for its petals, and harvesting is done using secateurs just three months after sowing. The petals are separated from pods and placed in a drier for five days before being packed.
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Aloe vera is harvested after 15 months, while it takes seven to nine months for turmeric and ginger to mature. Murori removes the entire aloe vera leaf from the plant and packs it.
The biggest challenge encountered by Murori in his venture is the unpredictable weather attributed to global warming. According to him, herb farming is not a walk in the park but it’s a journey that entails a lot of dedication and patience.
