When it comes to making money, I have always taken the side of having your own business above formal employment. The world is full of opportunities, and you must tap the right one at the right time to make the most of it. If you are looking for what Kenya has to offer you as a business opportunity, then look no further than agribusiness. As its the most profitable farming business in Kenya. For a country that is majorly dependent on its agricultural products, you will find the best of business opportunities there.
Agribusiness in Kenya
While getting into the agribusiness in the country, being creative is the key.
I have found the best strategy is to go for a product that has the potential to fill a gap in the market.
If you are thinking to start an agribusiness in Kenya requires extensive knowledge and analysis that can be done first-hand only, you are right.
However- I have taken care of just that for you.
If you are wondering what the most profitable farming businesses in Kenya are, then that is exactly the list I have.
Read on to know more!
Tamarillo or Tree- Tomato Farming
Yes, I was as surprised as you were when I first learned about tomato farming.
But the truth is that this is one of the silent ventures where people are raking huge profits.
Do you know what the cost of a single seedling of tree tomato is?
Around Ksh 50, or KSh 100 if you go for a grafted seed.
A single acre of land is capable of accommodating over 1200 such trees.
Every such tree gives an approximate yield of 40kg.
The cost of a single kilogram of tree tomato can be anywhere between KSh 80 to KSh 150.
I won’t go a lot into large numbers here- but a single tree gives you 40 kilograms of yield.
40 kgs per tree are roughly around KSh 4000 per tree.
Even if you assume the cost and wastage to be 40% of that, you are still making over KSh 2400 from a seed.
Oh and remember, the seed costs only around KSh 50. The result- a profit 80 times your investment.
Is that good enough or need I say more?
Farming
If you ever go exploring some tomato farms in the country, such as those in the Livingstone Ng’ang’a’s a farm situated in Laikipia County, you will see what the numbers above are about.
Farmers are targeting the dry season for farming of Tamarillo, where the demand is high, and supply is low.
With even law graduates leaving their field to get into this, there is an opportunity here.
Go on, search a law graduate from MKU or Mount Kenya University.
This will tell you all you need to know about how even the students are tapping this business opportunity!
Dairy Farming
From a rather unconventional idea, let’s move on to something that most of you would have been expecting.
As the nation with the largest dairy industry in the continent, it offers a lot of opportunities for dairy farmers.
The country has over 9,350,000 dairy cows.
In a country where milk has high consumption (yes, Kenyans even prefer their tea with milk!), the demand is high.
Dairy farming involves producing milk in the long term and is not just limited to cows.
It also includes mammals like sheep and goats.
With such a large number of cows in the entire country, your question may be where the opportunity is?
What Kenya has in numbers; it lacks in skill.
A good percentage of the farmers still do not have the requisite skills for dairy farming.
If you have the required capital, training in dairy farming is the first thing that you should seek.
Right from Kenya Cooperative Creameries to Kinangop Dairy and Brookside Dairy Limited, you have multiple options for selling milk.
If you ever get a chance to visit Keiria Githunguri, the locals will probably tell you about Biko KIthinji.
A graduate from Kenya Methodist University, he started his dairy farm.
From starting with KSh 400,00, he now can milk his cattle for over 500 liters a day, selling at KSH 18,000.
Not bad for a day’s income, right?
Hass Avocado Farming
This is something that has been practiced in the country for ages.
Local varieties of Avocado such as the fuete have seen dominant presence in the market.
However, this trend has now been shifting towards Hass avocado farming, following that in Europe.
What makes Hass Avocado one of the most profitable farming businesses in Kenya is that it has a shorter maturing period of 3 years.
Now that you are starting to understand how the math works, I’ll skip it for you this time.
A has tree gives around KSh 3,500 in a single cycle.
Targeting around 100 Hass avocado trees in a single acre, the possible sales are around KSh 700,00 in a year.
Here I have assumed the selling price of KSh 5 for a fruit, which can go as high as KSh 35.
Even with a couple of acres, you can easily set up a high-yield Hass avocado farm.
Compared to the other profitable farming businesses in Kenya, this is a long-term investment.
You need to be prepared for that before investing in it.
If you are looking to check out some Hass avocado farms, then Nyeri, Kiambu, Meru, and Kisii are some of the places where you will find them.
Mushroom Farming
If you are looking for the most profitable farming businesses in Kenya that have a short turnaround time, look no further than mushrooms.
Many young entrepreneurs are entering into it considering how gainful mushroom farming can be.
The demand for organic, high-quality mushrooms is at an all-time high currently.
And the demand to start a mushroom farming business?
Only a structure and KSh 50,000 as capital!
Mushroom farming has all the elements of a quick and high-profit venture.
There are a lot of stories about a small investment leading to high yields of mushrooms.
The fact that you can expect a selling price in the range of KSh 500 to 600 makes this even more attractive.
Kathioko in Machakos County is one of the places you can go to for learning more about this agricultural opportunity.
Pig Farming
Farming fresh produce requires a lot of effort to give a profitable yield.
Pig farming, however, does not require so much effort, which is what makes it another one of the most profitable farming businesses in Kenya that you can consider.
Pigs are famous in the entire country for the pork (meat) that the product, and for the huge profits that the farmer can make.
Pig farming is easily among the most cost-effective and profitable ventures in the country.
Compared to other animals, growth in pigs is fast, and their reproductive functions also develop quickly.
Pigs also give birth 2 times in a single year, with a maximum of 10 piglets produced throughout their life.
Considering the huge demand in the market for pork, the low investment, and maintenance- it is obvious what makes this such a great business opportunity.
All you need to decide upon is the type and size of pigs that you want.
Even a small setup can be used and converted into a commercial business since pigs grow fast.
You can easily start it as a side business while not giving up your current profession.
Once set up, the maintenance in running it is not as much as other agri-businesses.
Bee Keeping
While we are talking about high-profit ventures with a small investment, beekeeping has to be included.
When all you need is KSh 3000 for constructing a beehive using material from the local carpenter, why shouldn’t you do it?
This is easily one of the most profitable farming businesses in Kenya.
With all the modern techniques, making honey is now easier than ever.
The demand for high-quality honey has increased in recent times.
Apart from the material to construct a beehive, you will need some bee suits, gumboots, smokers and gloves.
The harvesting of honey is done around a year after setting the beehive.
The 2nd harvest has to be done at least 8 months after you do the 1st harvest.
After the first 2 harvests, you can start harvesting with a gap of just 4 months between each.
In a market where the selling price of honey is above KSh 150 for every kilo, profits are not something that you will have to worry about.
Fish Farming
For a nation that has abundant aquatic resources, fish farming is another great venture that I had to talk about.
There’s a lot in the country- right from a part of the Indian Ocean to numerous rivers, swamps, and freshwater lakes.
All of these are home to numerous aquatic species.
It is but obvious that commercial fishing has become one of the most profitable farming businesses in Kenya.
Starting fish farming is not that hard, especially once you decide on the species that you want to do business with Tilapia fish sees one of the highest demands in the country, preferred by almost everyone here.
Other fish species that are high in demand include trout, the African catfish, different varieties of carp fish and olanda.
While choosing a species, it is important to go with one that can grow easily in your local climate.
The availability of food should also be taken into consideration before getting into fish farming.
Poultry Farming
In a country where poultry farming is still majorly practiced on smaller scales, the possibility of building a profitable venture is high.
Chicken farming is among the most common methods, but some farmers work with other species of birds as well.
The commercial chicken breeds that are in high demand in the nation include broilers, layers, kuroiler, Sasso as well as Kari.
Through this, stories of farmers who are making over KSh 80,000 a month are not uncommon.
Apart from being one of the most profitable farming business in Kenya, it also demands a lot of effort and investment.
Rearing and taking care of poultry birds demands a lot of effort.
Right from the diet to their vaccination and cleanliness, expect a lot of effort from your side to set up and maintain a poultry farm that generates high profits.
What Should You Know Before Getting into The Agri-Business in Kenya?
The above list of some of the most profitable farming businesses in the country should help you get started on your journey.
However, that is not all- there are quite a few things that you should know.
The most important thing is to start small and build a sustainable growth channel.
This will help you avoid debt and focus on quality over quantity- something that is becoming a big ask from all consumers.
Apart from that, even the farming ventures that are the cheapest to start will take significant capital in terms of upfront and setup costs.
Try to follow the first advice of starting small, and let your farm pay for itself in due time.
Think about value addition- making use of all the parts of the animals and plants.
It will help you create more than a single income stream, thus making your avenue even more profitable.
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Diversification is also something that you must remember.
Different crops have different growth rates, and the same goes for animals too.
It will help you to generate income throughout the year, and also discover what you are best at.
Last but not least, remember the power of knowledge.
For starting a profitable farming business in Kenya, you need to do extensive research and understand what you are getting into.
The world is evolving each day, and with that comes something new.
With newer techniques and equipment, farming has improved a lot over the years.
As you work on setting up one or more of these profitable farming businesses in Kenya, I only wish you the best on a journey, unlike any