How farmers in Uasin Gishu are reaping big from pepper cultivation
A four acre farm in Uasin Gishu, Kenya’s food basket, stands out from the rest in specializing on pepper cultivation at a time when maize has dissapointed farmers.
The farm dubbed Rupa Fruits and Vegetables Farm is also introducing a farming revolution by contracting farmers to grow pepper on their behalf and getting paid.
Farmers in Uasin Gishu have predominantly relied on maize production as their source of income. So embedded is the maize farming that generations in the area have grown associating themselves with maize.
Uasin Gishu falls under the North Rift, an area christened as Kenya’s food basket due to its high maize yield. Infact the area supplies 40 per cent of all maize in the country. But the over reliance on maize has worked against the farmers. Diseases like Maize Lethal Necrosis, which has entered the country has been known to wipe entire maize farms. Failing rains have also interfered with the yields forcing the country to look for imports from neighbouring countries like Kenya and Uganda.
The volatile market prices and the exploitation of farmers by the middle men has dampened farmers’ efforts to produce more. But Rupa farm is changing farming in North Rift, a pepper at a time. The crop has been doing well in the area due to the fact that it is best suited for the growing conditions that favour maize production.
The farm has invested in two chilli pepper varieties Tabiche which turns red on maturing and Carolina cayenne which is green. “Like everyone else in this area we were also maize farmers. But when markets failed and we couldnt get anything of value from maize we decided to focus on pepper farming as a test. It never dissapointed,” said Wilson Cheruiyot the manager at the farm.
The crop has been a hit especially because of its fast maturity, taking two months to mature and selling at Sh350 per kilo. It has a high resistance for diseases and a farmer doesnt to invest a lot on agricultural inputs like fertilizer. Rupa Farm for example harvests 900 kilos each week with harvesting happening year round.
The market demand for the two different varieties by different customer base has increased fortunes for the company. For example, while the green pepper seems to be a favourite among consumers, which has seen the company package them in small packages and distribute them to retail stores in major towns, the red variety is preferred by companies involved in making chilli sauce. To further motivate the farmers interested in chilli farming, they give the farmers free chilli seedlings and get them to sell the mature pepper at Sh70 a kilo on contract basis. Farmers who see the market value of growing pepper are dumping maize for the crop.
“Pepper is one of the crops that has not been utilized in the country despite a growing local and international market. If the farmers in this area can see the market value and move from just producing it to adding value, we can go really far as country,” said Wilson.
- Sale!
Fig Fruit Seedlings
Original price was: KSh 800.00.KSh 500.00Current price is: KSh 500.00. Add to cart - Sale!
PawPaw Seedlings
Original price was: KSh 150.00.KSh 100.00Current price is: KSh 100.00. Add to cart - Sale!
Grafted Apple Seedlings
Original price was: KSh 800.00.KSh 400.00Current price is: KSh 400.00. Add to cart - Sale!
Grafted Pixie Orange Seedlings
Original price was: KSh 350.00.KSh 250.00Current price is: KSh 250.00. Add to cart - Sale!
Plum Seedlings
Original price was: KSh 1,000.00.KSh 800.00Current price is: KSh 800.00. Add to cart - Sale!
Hass Avocado Seedlings
Original price was: KSh 200.00.KSh 150.00Current price is: KSh 150.00. Add to cart - Sale!
Pomegranate Seedling
Original price was: KSh 500.00.KSh 400.00Current price is: KSh 400.00. Add to cart - Sale!
Tommy Atkins Mango Seedlings
Original price was: KSh 200.00.KSh 150.00Current price is: KSh 150.00. Add to cart - Sale!
Dragon Fruit Seedlings (Red/Red)
Original price was: KSh 1,000.00.KSh 500.00Current price is: KSh 500.00. Add to cart - Sale!
Kiwi Seedlings
Original price was: KSh 800.00.KSh 500.00Current price is: KSh 500.00. Add to cart - Sale!
Washington Navel Seedlings
Original price was: KSh 250.00.KSh 150.00Current price is: KSh 150.00. Add to cart - Sale!
Variegated Pink Lemon Seedlings
Original price was: KSh 850.00.KSh 600.00Current price is: KSh 600.00. Add to cart
how can i get the number for the above farmers..
Please i am interested. kindly give me details
The contacts of Rupa Fruits and Vegetables? Thank you.
please i am interested. please let me have details contacts
Greetings please give me contacts for rupa farm (chilli I uasin gishu). Thanks
Please give me the contacts of Rupa fruits and vegetable farm in Eldoret
Am also interested. Contacts please.
how can I get their contacts?
How can I reach them?
Check
kiptoo Enock
farm supervisor at rupa fruits and vegetables company
https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=ADEAABXrnSgBlitZPZsA6sSQ6YqdMtgpSgo6INU&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=yBUy&locale=en_US&srchid=4044249261447256173748&srchindex=2&srchtotal=3&trk=vsrp_people_res_name&trkInfo=VSRPsearchId%3A4044249261447256173748%2CVSRPtargetId%3A367762728%2CVSRPcmpt%3Aprimary%2CVSRPnm%3Atrue%2CauthType%3ANAME_SEARCH
Good business indeed. I have alot of interest.Please share contacts
Great please connect me with rupa fruits farm for more advice.
contact pliz
Why don’t you give contacts in every of your posts. You’ll realize that almost every request here is about contacts. Save us the agony. We need these to foster business growth.
hi,am interest in pepper planting,kindly i need the contact of rupa
You mention 350 a kg, then a few lines later price goes to 70 a kg? Whats the price?
From the article 70/= is the cost of seedling, 350/= is the cost of mature pepper
ineed rupa contacts please
please assist me how can i join this good farming i have a farm to do this good thing at taita taveta county one acre and i need cayenn pepper farming i find this farming to be good.
please give me rupa contacts