If you have a few shillings in your pocket, you have probably thought of ways to double your money in Kenya through business ventures. Breeding chicken in Kenya, once a very lucrative business, has unfortunately turned into nightmares for most farmers in Kenya due to the high cost of chicken feed. Prices on all commodities in Kenya continue to rise, and salaries continue to remain the same. Kenyan youths looking to do chicken farming in Kenya as a solution have been largely disappointed. What if you could engage in a business in Kenya that provides better yields, tastier eggs and meat, and higher earnings than what you would get from chicken?

Quail in Kenya have been a part of the echo system since the beginning, but people discovered its health benefits in Kenya recently. Mature quails in Kenya weigh up to half a kilogram and yet they cost from Kshs 500 onwards on sale. A 55g chicken egg goes for Kshs 11 while a ten gram quail egg in Kenya goes for Ksh 20. The nutritional value of quail eggs surpasses that of chicken eggs in Kenya. In fact, quail eggs in Kenya have larger amounts of Vitamins B complex, E and K. Quails in Kenya are kept in the same way you would keep chicken. Quail birds in Kenya can be situated in a barn or left in a farm as free range. Yes, quails are birds, but they do not like to fly. After all, they build their nests on grass!

It takes about 17-18 days for a quail chick in Kenya to hatch. Furthermore, the hatched quail chick starts producing quail eggs in Kenya within a two-month period. This means that while you wait for a hen to mature, you will have already benefited from quail three times, not counting the eggs the second and third batch of quail will give you in Kenya. The trick in succeeding in business in Kenya is to keep on top of your research. Quails in Kenya are classified as wild animals and there are of different types. To practice quail farming in Kenya, you will need a license from Kenya Wildlife Service. The licence for quail keeping or farming in Kenya only costs you five hundred shillings from KWS offices in Kenya.

KWS in Kenya provides rich information on quail farming to quail farmers in Kenya. The information Kenya Wildlife Service provides to the people includes the best breeds and where to find farmers and eggs in Kenya. Once you get your quail farming license in Kenya, build your ban and stock up on chicken feed, it is time to get your quail birds. Remember to get feeders and water containers for successful quail farming in Kenya. Make sure the water containers in the quail barns in your farm in Kenya are small in size to prevent drowning of young quail. Quails in Kenya eat only 20g while to a chicken usually eat 150g of food each day. This is another reason why Quail farming in Kenya is better than chicken farming in Kenya. One more reason to invest in quail farming in Kenya is that the quails in Kenya rarely become sick. Quail farmers in Kenya do not need to constantly supervise the quails once they are fed since they are not as delicate as chicken in chicken farming in Kenya. All Kenya quail farmers need to do to expand the barns as the quails increase in the farm.

A good tip in Quail farming in Kenya is to invest in an incubator. Quail birds as already stated are wild animals, and when it comes to egg hatching, they do not do as well when they are in enclosed spaces. A quail bird`s incubator in Kenya will greatly increase your yields and profits. Did I mention that quail meat and eggs in Kenya taste better than that chicken meat and eggs? Yep! Quail farming is the way to go in Kenya!

Kenya has very many delicacies that are unique to Kenya and a few African countries.they include the following

ugali

This is  staple food in Kenya which is  made from cornmeal that is added to boiling water which is heated until it turns into a dense block of cornmeal paste.An easy way of knowing if the ugali is ready to eat is by cutting a small piece of the paste and throwing it on a wall.If it sticks to the wall the ugali is not ready but if it falls down it is ready and can be served.It is mostly served with cooked vegetables or saucy stew.It is a very cheap and quick meal which is taken by many Kenyans.Ugali can be served with sukuma wiki which is what Kenyans call kales which are green vegetables.They are cheap and easy to make and can be eaten with several things including ugali.They are also very healthy and nutritious.

Rice

is also eaten by most Kenyans because it is quick and easy to make and does not need any ingredients apart from rice and water.It can be eaten by various stews in Kenya such as beef,beans,lentils,vegetables and greengrams.It can also be fried and cooked as pilau which is mostly common in Kenya’s coastal region.It needs skill and patience to cook pilau the right way.It contains several spices such as cumin,cloves,caddamom but the most important spice is the pilau masala.’

Githeri

which also a simple and common meal prepared in most parts of Kenya.Githeri is a combination of boiled beans and maize which can then be added tomatoes,carrots,onions and vegetables to make it more tasty.This meal is nutritious and contains a lot nutrients needed in the body and is very simple to prepare.

Nyama choma

This is  another Kenyan delicacy enjoyed by many Kenyans.It is roasted meat as the name suggests.Two most common forms of nyama choma are goat and beef but chicken and fish are also options.It is mostly served outdoors and combined with a Kenyan side dish known as’kachumbari’ which is basically chopped onions,tomatoes,corriander and pepper(optional)

Mutura

which is goat intestine wrappers stuffed and then boiled until it is almost cooked and then grilled to dehydrate and give a very sensational tastes.Those are just a few of Kenya’s delicacies which are enjoyed by most Kenyans and not so known outside Kenya.

They include the major conditions inside or outside the main body of the animal that may lead to it contacting the disease or obtaining a very major injury. The following are some of the factors that may predispose an animal to certain diseases.

The species of the animal

It determines the type of disease that is likely to affect the species and not any other. A good example is the swine fever that affects the pigs and Newcastle disease affects poultry.

The breed of the animal

It will influence the type of animal that can be affected by a particular disease. The animal breed will often determine the kind of disease that will affect that particular kind of animal.

The age of the animal

Young animals are more prone to the contacting of diseases than old and mature ones. Big animals often have good ways of resisting some diseases that arise from the surrounding environment.

Sex of the animal

Some diseases will affect the animal depending on its sex.For instance mastitis will be experienced in female cattle. The biological make up of animals will contribute to the type of diseases that they will get.

Color of the animal

Animals that are black in color often suffer from stress due to having excessive heat. On the other hand light skinned

 

 

People from the Western Kenya are popularly recognized for their commitment to farming. They are excellent poultry (especially chicken, locally referred to as ingokho), maize and cane farmers. Whereas ingokho and maize combine to provide a rich, healthy diet, cane farming only serves to impoverish these hardworking men and women.

To begin with, a farmer who toils for over 12 months in his 1 acre piece of land only stands a chance of producing about 35 tons of raw cane. A ton of cane attracts a price of between kshs. 2000 and Kshs. 5000. Even if we take the highest possible price per ton offered by Sugar Companies, this translates to a mere kshs. 175,00. This is gross income for the farmer, for a period of over 12 months. When input, labor and other costs are deducted from this little amount, anyone can accurately guess the net income for the helpless farmer. Let’s be generous enough to guess that he remains with Kshs. 100, 000 from his painful months of waiting.

Taking kshs. 100,000 as a farmer’s income for 12 months, monthly income comes to as low as Kshs. 8,333.33. Let’s assume there exists a vegetable vendor X, who sells vegetables in a kibanda and makes a daily profit of kshs. 400. Roughly, vendor X makes a minimum of Kshs. 12, 000 every month, translating to an annual income of at least Kshs. 144,000, compared to the farmer’s exaggerated annual income of Kshs. 100,000.

The question is: why pay more for less? Cane farmers are extremely hard-working. They deserve appreciation, not extortion, oppression and exploitation. Unfortunately, these are habits which may never be rooted out of Kenyan Sugar Companies anytime soon. However, farmers  rightfully deserve better lives because of their hard work and commitment to this activity that is pivotal to the nation’s economic stability.

Ultimately, Western Kenya farmers need to make a drastic decision; a decision to thwart cane farming and embrace other less strainuous economic activities that pay a little more. For instance, vegetable farming and serious poultry farming are each worth 10 (even more) times the value of cane farming, assuming the cost of production is constant.

high poverty levels in the region, poor transport infrastructure and insufficient social amenities are credible grounds for people from Western Kenya to initiate rigorous awareness campaigns that seek to drive individuals towards personal economic empowerment. This has to begin with the thwarting of the non-beneficial cane farming as an economic activity in the area.

In Kenya, strawberries are not a common fruit that you will find on the streets. Most people buy them for home consumption and baking.  Companies like Brookside, trufood, zesta, KCC use strawberries to use them when making juices, sauces, jams, yoghurts and other supplies for supermarkets. The most common type of strawberry is that of the Fragaria genus. The Strawberry varieties suitable for growing in Kenya include Chandler, Domanil, pajaro Douglas, Tioga selva, Rabunda, Tri-Star and Tribute. The crop thrives in hot climate and it does badly in frost or extremely low temperatures.

These companies import the fruit because very few people attempt to plant the fruit. Few farmers in Kenya have turned to strawberry production. Those who have tried it have raked great profits because it is not a competitive area of farming. There is great demand for the product and it is very easy to maintain. One just needs to have a fertile farm and plenty of water. It is a good business for serious farmers. The demand is high and therefore the prices are affordable. Strawberries are very easy to maintain and they take 70 days to mature. This is such a short time and they return the initial investments after sale. Most farmers end up making great profits. This will remain for up to 3 years with 2 to 3 harvesting seasons annually. The easiest variety in Kenya is the chandler. These plants need attention and watering from the farmer.

This is a venture with high capital requirement and it needs a lot of attention. A seedling sells for an average of Ksh 20 and this depends on the piece of land.  The land can be an eighth of an acre and 2,500 seedlings are required. This means that the total amount of money will be 500,000 shillings. The plants are not good with rain water because it affects the leaves of the plants. Drip irrigation is the best for this option because it does not cause fungal diseases on the leaves of the strawberries. However greenhouses are a great option for the people willing to do this farming. Greenhouses protect the plants from drought and excess rain.

The berries go out of season during rainy season, but a farmer can practice crop rotation by alternating with other plants like beans, eggplants, tomatoes, capsicums, okra and cabbages. In crop rotation, it is required that people use crops from different families so that they don’t overuse one nutrient from the soil. The seedling can be propagated by the farmer if it is disease free. The farmer can expand the plantation size without necessarily going to the seedling supplier again. The farmer will require large initial capital but the returns will make up for it. It will take only 6 to 7 months for the farmer to break even. The fruit is a great export in the country and it is a cash crop. The main requirements for the strawberry plants are water, manure, pesticides, herbicides, pipes for irrigation and a greenhouse.With all these one can start a sucessful business.

 

Shortage of milk and milk products in Kenya is a real concern. Fortunately, this means entrepreneurs and farmers can see this as a lucrative venture they can undertake. Essentially, knowing how to take off in this economically beneficial endeavor is the most critical factor.

What You Need To Consider

Availability of Land

Dairy farming can be practiced on a piece of land ranging from 0.1-1,000,000 acres, depending on the scale of farming. This is the first requirement that any prospective farmer ought to meet.

Identifying The Right Livestock Breeds

There is diversity of dairy cows in Kenya including both local and exotic breeds. For more returns, exotic breeds such as Friesian, Ayrshire, Jersey and Guernsey. The farmer ought to consider acquisition and maintenance costs, and possible returns given a particular breed. A good dairy cow may cost between kshs. 100,000-500,000.

Getting Money (Capital)

Dairy farming is a real business venture. Capital is, therefore, mandatory for buying livestock, farm equipment, establishment of structures and buying of animal feed, among other essential requirements. You can draw this from a savings account, income or loan.

Putting Up Necessary Structures

Dairy animals must be kept under conducive living conditions free from rains, winds and unnecessary human interference. This calls for establishment of appropriate structures

Supply of Feed

Feeds are the most essential requirements for any successful dairy farming undertaking. It is important to have a reliable source of animal feed even before the animals get onto the farm.

Besides the above, a farmer needs to obtain sufficient information the care of the animals and general maintenance of the farm.

Cash crop farming is one of the leading economic activities in Kenya , Kenya a country located within the tropics is preferably suitable for the growth of most crops available in the word. Agriculture is said to be the pillar of Kenya’s economy followed by tourism and other sectors hence the following are some of the cash crops grown in Kenya;

TEA

This is one of the most cultivated crops in Kenya and has served as a stable economy in the following areas of the country; Kericho, Bomet, Nyeri, Mt. Elgon, vihiga, Limuru, Kitale, Kirinyaga and various other small scare areas. Tea produced in Kenya is processed and used both in Kenya and the international market with most of it being exported to Europe, Iran and Middle East.

SUGARCANE

Sugarcane is a crop that can only be supported in countries within the tropics hence giving Kenya the required advantage. In Kenya sugarcane is grown mostly in the western region and the cost region with some of the areas being: Mumias, Kakamega, Nzoia, Webuye, Muhoroni, Uasin gishu and other small areas.

MAIZE

Maize is both a cash crop and a subsistence crop with most areas of the country planting the crop, some of the large scale maize producing countries include Trans Nzoia, Trans Mara, Kitale, Uasin Gishu, Lugari and parts of Kakamega.

MIRRA

Mirra has of late been deemed as a rejected crop following the controversies that were created by the international ban in the European market last year including Britain which was Mirra’s main market abroad hence this has since jeopardized the lives of many people in Meru county. It has since remained uncertain whether the ban will be lifted despite plans to appeal the ban

PYRETHRUM

This is one of the few horticulture crops being planted in Kenya and due to its nature where it can only be grown under certain temperatures’ it is cultivated only in Lake Victoria, North Rift Valley, South Rift Valley and Mt. Kenya region.

COFFEE

Coffee is an important cash crop to Kenya’s economy as it earns foreign exchange. The crop is mainly grown in high altitude areas like Mt. Elgon and Mt. Kenya regions.

This crops have been grown in Kenya for a long time and are considered by many as a source of livelihood within the country due to lack of white collar jobs.