By Zablon Oyugi
Located in the Eastern region of Kenya, Kitui County is one of the counties that form part of the 80% of the country’s lands classified as arid and semi-arid (ASAL).
In fact, according to the Kenya National Environment Management Authority, the county experiences high temperatures throughout the year, which ranges from 14°C to 34°C.
However, locals such as Simon Musyoka, a small-scale farmer from the region farmer, grow mangoes which do well with little rain they receive once a year.
Simon who previously operated a general shop while also cultivating the fruits on his one-acre farm in Ithiani Village, said when there is good harvest, the produce go to waste and sometimes sold at throw-away prices.
“We used to sell our mangoes to brokers from Nairobi at Ksh3 per kilo comprising of 3-5 pieces while others not sold in time would go to waste,” he said.
In 2019, he made the decision to transition from his shop business to focus on mango value addition to make crisps using polytunnel solar dryers, a venture he has named SunSweet Fruit Farm Products.
How it started
In 2018 a friend from Thailand who was in chocolate manufacturing visited Musyoka and tried selling him the idea of making the snacks. “This was a good idea but where will I find the raw materials to process chocolates?” He wondered.
He therefore though of mango crisps, the tasty and healthy snacks that can be sold even out of season at a good price as the best alternative, also, because mangoes are grown in plenty in the eastern part of Kenya.
Moreover, Musyoka says that venturing into mango crisps making was compelling as it had potential to provide ready market for his own mangoes and those of the surrounding fellow farmers.
Constructing polytunnel dryers
Using polytunnel dryers was also another idea sold to Musyoka by his Thailand friend given it is a new technology for drying a number of farms produce but not yet popular in Kenya but mainly used in temperate countries.
According to the farmer, a polytunnel also known as a polyhouse is made from steel and covered with polyethylene, usually semi-circular, square or elongated in shape.
This is built on a platform made of wood 3-4 feet above the ground with enough gaps in between the wood materials and below the platform for free movement of air.
On the platform is spread shed nets on which produce, in this case mango chips are spread for drying.
Due to lack of technical capacity to construct a polytunnel, Musyoka had to hire an expert from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) whom he paid Ksh230,000 for materials and labour.
Once this was complete towards the end of year when mangoes are in high season in the area, he harvested, from his own farm, five tonnes and bought eight more tonnes which he stored to meet the hard ripe stage required for mango crisps.
“After this, we peeled a tonne of the mangoes and chopped the juicy parts into slim round shapes for drying into crisps in the polyhouse, a process that can take around two days depending on the weather,” said Musyoka.
To his surprise, all the crisps got spoiled and were discarded. His second attempt was January 2019 with six tonnes and again all the crisps got spoiled and discarded.
At this rate he realised that something must have gone wrong with the construction so he decided to hire another technician from Nairobi whom he paid Ksh700,000 for materials for two new polytunnels plus Ksh150,000 labour fees.
Success
Once the two additional polytunnels and modification of the previous one were complete toward end of 2019, Musyoka decided to do 15 tonnes of mangoes in January 2020 of which after drying he realised 5 tonnes.
Upon sorting the five tonnes, we still realised that a half had spoilt leaving us with a half which were in good quality. These, I luckily got a buyer from Salt Lake City in the US though an exporter who bought them all and was able to earn Ksh1m from the five tonnes,” said Musyoka.
This became the turnaround in his entrepreneurial journey as since then he has been increasing the tonnage of mangoes he processes to current 82 tonnes from farmers in Kitui and Machakos and additional two tonnes from his own two acre piece of plot.
He says a 5g packet of mango which comes packaged and branded Mango Love sells at not less than Ksh100 locally and up to Ksh2000 in the US market.
Other products
While the mango peels can be used to feed livestock, the Kitui agropreneuer is also processing other products from the fruit such as mango juice and jam, all branded Mango Love.
A 450g jam goes at Ksh200 while 500ml and 250ml juice sells at Ksh100 and Ksh50 respectively.
“I have also introduced lip balm which I make from mango seed which is dried and crushed to give mango kernel butter before being missed with coconut oil, beeswax, armonf oil and peppermint which makes it effective in keeping lips nourished and soft,” said Musyoka.
As a result the venture has employed six women and youth and the number at times goes up to 16-20 during peak season.
He has also mastered the art of mango value addition and currently he is offering consultancy services in installation of polytunnels and processing of the various products at a fee.
