James Shikwati: “A Kenyan Making Kenya Shillings Five Hundred Thousand Exporting Managu And Terere”
- He works with local farmers to buy their crops in bulk, dry them, and package them for international distribution.
- James spent over a year in Europe and describes how much he missed the meals he grew up with.
- Experience has led him to develop a wonderful business idea: exporting what he grew up consuming.
If you’ve ever had indigenous East African veggies like managu, sagaa, mrenda, and terere, you know how tasty these recipes can be. James Shikwati, a small-time Kenyan farmer, is profitably selling these vegetables to the United States and Europe. It requires more than just good cuisine to succeed; it takes expertise and desire, which James possesses. This blog post delves into James’ innovative approach to transforming his farm into an exporting powerhouse.
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James works with local farmers to buy their products in bulk, then dry and package them for international distribution. This diligent procedure assures that his consumers only receive the best. According to James, African vegetables have the shortest value chain when compared to exotic crops such as carrots, French beans, and so on. This means that when the farmer grows the vegetables, they go directly from the farm to the market. This makes it harder for the farmer to profit from the crop. He intends to assist small farmers in developing a longer value chain. James also works with farmers to help them manage labor and inputs, as well as to create a market for their produce.
It is difficult to break into the American market. Americans are accustomed to eating green veggies from stores, but James has made it possible. To go there, one must first meet local requirements. James, the businessman has been able to send his products to Europe, the Middle East, and America in the two years that it has been in existence. But with prosperity comes responsibility. One of the difficulties, according to James, is the scarcity of traditional veggies.
