6 HABITS THAT WILL KEEP YOU POOR FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE

You were born poor, but if you die poor you have yourself to blame. Before you finish reading this article, at least 8 out of 10 people will have done something that contributes to their future poverty. Only 2 out of 10 will have done what is required to remain prosperous in the future. The question you need to ask yourself today is, “I’m I among the lucky 2 or the not-so-lucky 8?”

Here are 6 habits that could easily draw your route-map to a life of perpetual poverty.

1.You focus on linear income instead of passive income

Most people focus on linear income in the name of salary, allowances and one-off payments. Wise men on the other hand focus on passive income in the name of royalties, interest rates, value addition and profit.

Relying on linear income is similar to using buckets to fetch water from the river. With time, you’ll get too old and too tired to transport them to and fro and that means you’ll have to starve for as long as you don’t go to the river.

Relying on passive income on the other hand is similar to building a pipeline. It may require a lot of work at the beginning but with time, you’ll no longer have to go to the river to get water – the river will come to youand you’ll not starve.

This is the most fundamental principal of wealth creation that most (including you) are oblivious about.

10 SIMPLE IDEAS YOU CAN START WITH AS LITTLE AS KSH1000 CAPITAL

You may not have millions of shillings in the bank to start a business, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have any options. Let me surprise you. There are so many ideas you can explore with next to nothing and make serious returns out of them.

All that is required of you is to provide the skills, work ethic and a bit of marketing. In short, that is what is called “sweat capital”. In the world of start-ups, “sweat capital” is worth more than monetary capital.

Enough of vague statement. Let’s get practical. Here is a run-down of 10 business ideas that require very little monetary capital to set-up. Read through them keenly, take some notes and then go out there and do some deep digging and you are ready to go.

10.Making Homemade Strawberry Jam And Selling (Budget: Ksh750)

This is an interesting idea because you can actually start it with less than the cash you spend when you take your girlfriend for a movie at iMax. The more creative you are the more income you can generate from it. To start you will require some strawberries, sugar and lemons.

You will also need a sufuria (pot), mwiko (wooden stick) and some plastic containers for packaging. With just a little more perfection, you can actually secure a KEBS license and start supplying supermarkets. If you can keep investing more time and creativity into this, there is no reason why you should not grow it into a sustainable business.

Budget Breakdown	Cost
Strawberries	Ksh250 per kilo
Sugar	Ksh100 for 500 grams
Lemons	Ksh100
Packaging pouches	Ksh200
Transport expenses	Ksh100
TOTAL	Ksh750

One kilogram of strawberries will give you approximately 6 cans of jam each weighing 250 grams. You can then sell a 250 gram for Ksh200 making at least Ksh1,200. Note that you can always expand your profit margins by planting the strawberries yourself. 

9.Selling Wall Papers (Budget: Ksh1,800)

If making strawberry jam sounds more like a “mboche’s” idea to you, then you might want to put your in-born interior design knowledge to good use. Most people live in houses with a dull paint done by their landlords. A number of them would like to have the exterior looking better – but without necessarily repainting it.

This is where wall papers come in handy. You simply get ready-made wall papers either from local wholesalers or by importing from countries such as china.

Budget Breakdown	Cost
Wall Paper Roll	Ksh1,600 per 10 meters
Other expenses	Ksh200
TOTAL	Ksh1,800

You can then sell each roll for Ksh3,500 and include a Ksh1,000 charge for installation. That translates to more than double profit. The more aggressive you are, the more sales you can make and the more revenue you can generate from this.

HERE’S A BREAKDOWN OF THE CAPITAL YOU WOULD NEED TO START YOUR BUSINESS

If you are planning to start a business in Kenya or any other part of the world, you might get lost in your own world due to lack of information. To prevent this from happening, we have decided to compile a list of popular business ideas and the amount of capital that you would need to start your dream business venture.

(NB:$1=Ksh86) (Disclaimer: These are rough estimates and actual costs may differ).

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Gym & Fitness Center

Courtesy: Maciej Dakowicz

Total cost depends with location and type of machines bought. It is ideal to start this type of business in an upcoming middle-income residential area targeting the working class.

• Low income areas – Ksh300,000
• Middle income areas – Ksh500,000  to Ksh1,000,000
• High income areas – Ksh1,000,000 to Ksh 3,000,000

You can start with a small gym and continuously plough-back the profit to scale-it up.

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Small Butchery

The cost of starting a butchery in Kenya depends with location and size of the shop. It is advisable to have your butchery located in a place with high human traffic e.g. near a bus terminus or a busy street.

• Low Income Areas – Ksh100,000
• Middle Income Areas – Ksh200,000 – Ksh500,000
• High Income Areas – Ksh500,000 – Ksh1,000,000

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Selling Of Second Hand Clothes

Depends with the size of the business. You can leverage on the power of social media to drive-up sales for your merchandise. You can shop for cheap second-hand clothes in major markets such as Gikomba and Ngara markets in Nairobi.

• Micro-sized Business – Ksh5,000 – Ksh50,000
• Small Business – Ksh50,000 – Ksh250,000
• Average-Sized business – Ksh250,000 – Ksh1,000,000

HOW EMPLOYED PEOPLE REMAIN POOR DESPITE WORKING FULL-TIME, SAVING & INVESTING

It was back in 2007 when a young man whose career was blossoming got wind of a potentially life-changing business idea – investing in shares. Like most people, he had grown up watching TV and reading newspaper articles about the profitability of this kind of business.

So when Safaricom (the largest telco in Kenya) floated its IPO, he figured out this was his chance to stand to be counted. He took a Ksh1 Million loan from a local bank at an interest rate of 15% per annum. By that time Safaricom shares were trading at Ksh5 and so he managed to purchase 190,000 shares.

Looking into the future, he was almost assured of being a multimillionaire in a span of 5 years because as most of his fellow investors had expected, the share price would shoot to Ksh25 a piece. Shock on him, a few months down the line the 2008 global financial crisis kicked in, followed by the 2008 Post Election Violence (PEV). The share prices came down tumbling trading to less than Ksh2.50 – a situation that sent the young man into panic mode.

Things were not looking good and waiting a little bit more into the future certainly did not look like a good idea given that a loan had to be repaid. He hurriedly sold off his shares at Ksh2.10, exited the circa and used the proceeds to settle part of the outstanding loan. In addition to that, he had to part with a portion of his salary for 60 months in order to fully clear the entire amount.

To make matters worse, as he was still trying to figure out his way out of the murky waters of debt, things started to look up for Safaricom on the bourse with the share price shooting all the way up to Ksh21.00. If only he had waited for a few more years!

Stories such as this one are not uncommon, it’s only that majority choose to suffer in silence rather than parade their failures for all to see. Certainly, more and more salaried people with seemingly good life and from an educated background are slowly wallowing in poverty. This despite working hard, saving diligently and even investing.

But why does this happen? We take a look at why educated and salaried people often remain poor despite having all it takes to excel in life.

(1)Wanting To Hit Two Birds With One Stone

With a job to keep, a boss to impress and bills to pay, salaried people cannot afford to completely ditch their comfortable 8am to 5pm lifestyle. So they hire and entrust their relatives or village-mates to run the affairs of the so-called side business. And therein lies the problem.

The first person they hire proves too lazy and unambitious, so they fire him. The second person they hire is a family member who clearly lacks the zeal and expertise to run the business, so once again they fire him when they notice the business is on its deathbed. The third and final person (or the mortician if you may) is usually a former village-mate or an old friend who despite being passionate excels in dishonesty. Before you know it, the once emaciated chap milks the business dry and escapes (not back to the village but to start his own venture using money and experience stolen from the unsuspecting boss.)

At the end of it all, one is left with no other option than to simply close the business, count losses and repay a loan without getting any value in return.

(2)Investing Out Of Superfluous Research

Tell a salaried guy to follow his passion – he will confidently answer you that his only passion is drinking and partying hard all weekend long at one of those shady clubs along Thika Road. Tell them to research about the latest business trends – they will tell you they have no time because they are busy for most of the day working for their bosses.

End result: they live a superfluous life, devoid of self-awareness and facts. And because they spend most of their time typing “Amen” on Facebook, the only way they know to invest is through half-baked methods.

Others start hardwares because word on the street has it that there is a “construction boom” in the country only to be shocked about the reality on the ground. Some buy thousands of broiler chicken and keep them without learning the best practices of such business only to lose the entire brood due to an unfamiliar disease.

(3)Disliking Dirty Jobs

How dare you tell a whole Branch manager to move door-to-door marketing tomatoes? The only thing these moderately paid office chaps can get dirty doing is changing a tyre of their ex-Japan Toyotas which they bought on loan. They hate doing the heavy lifting.

And so even when it comes to investing, they look for methods that require least effort to create disproportionate profit levels. Their dislike for odd jobs is what makes them resort to remotely managing their ventures which of course leads to similar consequences as those discussed in point number 1 above.

(4)Being Out Of Touch With Reality

The life cycle of a salaried person starts in school where he or she is taught and required to memorize arbitrary formula and theories. Then after 20 years of schooling, they come out, tarmac for a few years and then land a job. And therein lies another problem.

They end up being out of reach with realities of life. They think they can use the mathematics formula they learned at school to start a business only to be shocked by the fact that the complexity of real life requires more than just text book knowledge to manoeuvre.

(5)Behaving As If They Just Realized Loans Exist

Most people live beyond their means and so they don’t save a lot. So even when they hear of a potentially good business idea e.g. buying Safaricom shares like in the case above, their only course of action is to take loans to be repaid in 60 months.

And because they have what most bankers adore – a regular paycheck – they easily get funded. Little do they know that things like shares are best bought with long-term savings and small start-ups are best nurtured through bootstrapping.

Loans in business are best taken for scaling up a business, not starting one from scratch!

COSMETICS SHOP BUSINESS IDEA IN KENYA – HOW TO RUN PROFITABLY

 

Remember the rule is: start small, grow with it.

Where to Source For Cosmetic Products at Wholesale Prices

There are many wholesalers in the country. The best prices are however to be found in Nairobi mostly in the downtown side of the CBD along Dubois Road, River Road or Munyu Road. You can visit the city and take a window shopping walk particularly in shopping centres like The Perida Business Centre, Kamukunji Trading Centre or Best Lady Ronald Ngala. Take your time until you find the best prices.

What Are Some Of The Fastest Moving Goods?

Generally, the fastest moving goods out of a cosmetics shop are the items people use on a day-to-day basis. Think about ponds, hair food, gel, conditioners, shampoos, weaves, wigs, braids. And don’t forget bangles, earrings and necklaces.

What Legal Fees Are Required To Set Up A Cosmetic Business?

The only legal fee that is mandatory is the single business permit fee which is applicable to all brick and mortar outlets. Otherwise you can start an online shop and be selling your items on Facebook or an ecommerce website to avoid these overheads. 

Finding a Stall

You can start this business as a freelancer until you build a reliable client base. Later on, you can look for a stall in town (by town I mean any town not just Nairobi) – a permanent location or office is quite good because it boosts your credibility to customers and even financiers. A good 10ft by 5ft stall in a busy street goes for Ksh20,000 in Nairobi. Some landlords ask for a goodwill payment but some don’t.

How To Grow Your Business

4During the first few months of the business you will need to be thoroughly aggressive to make a sale. So don’t just sit in the shop and expect that customers will come in somehow. You will need to invest in your networks. Look for clients who work in offices and offer them door-to-door deliveries. You might even want to start your own small fashion blog so that you can tap into a wider market.

How Lucrative Is This Business?

Competition is quite stiff because of the sheer number of suppliers especially in major towns. But that should not worry you at all because demand is increasing steadily every day. Most of the products sold in a cosmetics shop have a wide profit margin. Take for example sleek/mac ponds, kapriz and studs which have more than 200% return on investment. Other fast moving products like the weaves and hairfoods have 20% return on investment. So yes, this is still a very lucrative business. And don’t forget that you can create your own perfumes and start selling them in there as well.

POULTRY FARMING

Poultry farming means ‘raising various types of domestic birds commercially for the purpose of meat, eggs and feather production’. The most common and widely raised poultry birds are chicken. About 5k million chickens are being raised every year as a source of food (both meat and eggs of chicken). The chickens which are raised for eggs are called layer chicken, and the chickens which are raised for their meat production are called broiler chickens. The UK and USA consume more meat and eggs of chicken than other countries of the world. On an average the UK alone consumes more than 29 million chicken eggs everyday. However, in a word commercial poultry farming is very necessary to meet up the demand of animal nutrition (eggs and meat). Commercial poultry farming is also very profitable. And commercial poultry farming business is one of the traditional business ventures. Here we are describing more about the advantages of poultry farming business and the steps for running this business.

Benefits of Poultry Farming

Poultry farming business has numerous benefits. As a result many farmers prefer to invest in this business. People generally establish poultry farm for the purpose of producing eggs, meat and generating high revenue from these products. Billions of chickens are being raised throughout the world as a good source of food from their eggs and meat. However, here I am shortly describing the main benefits of poultry farming.

• The main benefit of poultry farming is, it doesn’t require high capital for starting. You need just basic capital to start raising poultry. And most of the poultry birds are not costly enough to start raising.
• Poultry farming doesn’t require a big space unless you are going to start commercially. You can easily raise some birds on your own backyard with one or numerous coops or cages. So, if you are interested in poultry farming, then you can easily do it on your own backyard with several birds.
• Commercial poultry farming business also ensure high return of investment within a very short period. Some poultry birds like broiler chickens take shorter duration of time to mature and generating profit.
• Poultry farm structures do not require high maintenance. You can minimize diseases and illness in poultry by following proper hygiene and care. Diseases are less in some poultry birds like quails, turkeys etc.
• In most cases, you don’t need any license. Because almost all types of poultry birds are domestic. Although, if you need license from the relevant authority it is also easy for poultry.
• Poultry provides fresh and nutritious food and has a huge global demand. Global consumers of poultry products prefer them due to their nutrients and freshness. Poultry products are not much expensive and most of the people can afford those.
• Marketing poultry products is very easy. There is an established market for poultry products in almost all places of the world. So, you don’t have to think about marketing your products. You can easily sell the products in your nearest local market.
• Poultry farming creates income and employment opportunities for the people. Unemployed educated youth can easily create a great income and employment opportunity for them by raising poultry commercially. Women and students can also do this business along with their daily activities.
• Almost all bank approve loans for this types of business venture. So, if you want to start this business commercially, then you can apply for loans to your local banks.
• There are many more benefits of poultry farming along with the above mentioned benefits. Start raising and you will gradually learn everything.

Various Methods of Poultry Farming

Worldwatch institute described that, “about 74% of total poultry meat and 68% of total poultry eggs produced from intensive poultry farming method. Free range farming is the other alternative method of intensive poultry farming. Free range farming method is used for large number of poultry birds with high stocking density. There are some basic differences between intensive  and free range poultry farming. Intensive poultry farming method is a highly efficient system which saves, land, feed, labor and other resources and increases production. In this system the poultry farming environment is fully controlled by the farmer. So, it ensures continuous production throughout the year in any environment and seasons. Intensive poultry farming has some disadvantages too. Some people says intensive system creates health risks, abuse the animals and harmful for environment. On the other hand free range poultry farming method requires a large place fro raising the birds and the production is about the same as intensive method. However, in the case of both intensive and free range poultry farming method the producers must have to use nationally approved medications like antibiotics regularly to keep the poultry birds free from diseases.

Layer Poultry Farming
The poultry birds which are raised for egg production are called layer poultry. Commercial hen generally starts laying eggs at the age of 12-20 weeks. They start laying eggs regularly at their 25 weeks of age. After 70-72 weeks of age egg production of layer poultry get reduced. For commercial layer poultry farming, producers generally keep the hens for 12 months from their first laying period. And then sell them for slaughter purpose. Although chickens naturally survive for more than 6 years. For re-invigorating egg laying, the hens are force moulted in some countries. For commercial egg laying poultry farming systems, the environmental conditions are often automatically controlled by the producers. For a simple example, presence of light helps the bird for laying eggs earlier. So, the producers should provide more lightening period to increase the probability of beginning laying eggs. The egg-laying birds lays more eggs in warmer months than the cold months. So, keeping the temperature of the room moderate will be very helpful for better egg production. Some commercial egg laying chicken breeds can produce more than 300 eggs a year. Layer poultry are raised in various methods. The common and most popular layer poultry farming systems are described shortly below.

• Free Range Farming: Free range poultry farming means providing freely roaming facilities to the poultry birds for a certain period of a day. Although they are kept inside the house at night to keep them free from predators and adverse weather. In free range farming method the poultry birds generally roam freely throughout the whole day. Which means they spent half of their life outside the house. For free range poultry farming system select a suitable land which has the facilities of adequate drainage system, good ventilation, appropriate protection from prevailing winds, good protection from all types of predators and free from excessive cold, heat or dampness. Excessive cold, heat and damp is very harmful for poultry birds and reduce their productivity. This system also requires less feed than cage and barn systems. The poultry manure from free range farming used as fertilizer for crops directly. Although free range farming method is very suitable for poultry birds but it has some difficulties too. In this system the poultry birds can be victim of predators easily and may caught by various type of diseases.

Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya...WHOLE PROCESS

Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya – Do you know that Passion fruit is the third most popular fruit in Kenya after  mangoes and bananas respectively.

Passion fruit farming in Kenya popularity, is set to rise even more, due to changing consumer preferences  as Kenyans move from carbonated soft drinks to fresh juices.

Furthermore, brands like Coca-cola, Afia juices, Del-Monte are already sourcing various fruits and vegetables from farmers or are in the process of doing in a bid to tap fresh fruits processing segments.

For instance, Coca-cola and KNHDP-USAID-an NGO, have been active in promoting the production of the fruit in the coastal region and Siaya respectively.

Their efforts have leading to a surge in the country’s production in the years 2010 thus reversing the previous 3 year’s decline.

Despite all the interest by fresh drink processors, the supply of this fruit is scarce because of erratic supply to the market thus presenting opportunities to farmers in form of increased prices.

A visit to various market centers in Nairobi, Kiambu, Eldoret, Kisumu, Mombasa and other towns reveals that fewer traders sell the crop compared to bananas or mangoes this indicates very few farmers have taken the crop seriously as a source of revenue.

Economic Importance of Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya

Data from the Horticultural development authority indicates by 2010, the acreage of passion fruit in Kenya was 5,418 Hectares yielding 55,094 metric valued at 1.9 billion Kenya shillings.

The major challenge in production has been cited as lack of clean planting material free from woodiness caused by viruses and diseases like  like fusarium wilt and die back caused by fungi.

The only region where passion is not affected by stress from woodiness,fusarium wilt and dieback is western province therefore production should be encouraged in this region.

I wanted to be a vet, but found hotter deal in growing onions

John Wachuma,a student at Kenyatta University,at his red pinoy onion's Farm, at Ngari Nyiro Village in Laikipia County


As a boy growing up in Naromoru, John Wachuma’s dream was to become a veterinarian after witnessing several dairy cows belonging to his neighbour succumb to diseases. He felt the vet had not given the livestock much attention and he would do better.

 He also wanted to be a livestock farmer in the future and had to be prepared to prevent such a loss.

 Wachuma, now 23, passed his 2011 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam and was admitted to Kenyatta University to pursue a degree in animal health and production. Today he is a fourth year student and is already offering veterinary services. However, even before embarking on his dairy project, Wachuma got attracted to crops last year.

“This was after l read a lot on social media how youthful farmers are raking in quick money to the tune of thousands and millions of shillings through crop farming,” he says. 

COLLECTING INFORMATION

He immediately started collecting information on how to manage crops from newspaper cuttings, the Internet, agricultural materials and expert advice. He even made friends and visited prominent crop farmers in Nanyuki.

“For almost a month during my long holiday, I visited various horticulture farms to acquaint myself with practical knowledge on how to manage the crops,” Wachuma tells Smart Harvest.

 According to the weather patterns in his area at the time, there was going to be a dry spell in the next three months, which usually leads to a shortage of cabbage, hence high demand. 

To capitalise on this, Wachuma settled for cabbages and put to use part of family land lying idle close to Ewaso Nyiro River.

 Using Sh50,000 he had saved from his vet services, he prepared the farm, bought seeds and planted nurseries, before transplanting the seedlings in half an acre open field. His records show he had 3,800 stems of cabbage.

STRAWBERRY FARMING IN KENYA: HOW TO MAKE KSH100,000 PER MONTH ON 1/8TH ACRE LAND

Strawberry farming has huge income potential and can easily turn you from a job-seeker to a job-creator or from an employee to an employer in less than 12 months. Would you like to find out how? Keep reading the next few paragraphs.

Strawberry Farming in Kenya

Strawberries can grow in almost every part of our country provided there is constant water supply and stable temperature in the range of 10 – 30 degrees Celsius.

Step 1: Getting Started

Of course, you need some land to plant your strawberry crop. 1/8th of an acre would be adequate for a beginner but if you are in an urban setting you can invest in a few containers (which you can then put in your backyard) and start farming.

Once you have secured a good piece of land in a place that has adequate water supply start looking for seedlings. The best variety to go for is “Chandelier Strawberry” which is perfectly suited for the Kenyan environment.

You will require about 3,000 seedlings for a 1/8th piece of land. Given that each seedling costs Ksh10 then your minimum investment in seeds alone will cost you about Ksh30,000.

On top of the cost of purchasing seedlings you’ll need to add an extra Ksh15,000 for transport, fertilizer and agro-chemicals.

About Passion fruit farming in Kenya and what you need to know

Do you know that Passion fruit is the third most popular fruit in Kenya after  mangoes and bananas respectively.

Passion fruit farming in Kenya popularity, is set to rise even more, due to changing consumer preferences  as Kenyans move from carbonated soft drinks to fresh juices.

Furthermore, brands like Coca-cola, Afia juices, Del-Monte are already sourcing various fruits and vegetables from farmers or are in the process of doing in a bid to tap fresh fruits processing segments.

Despite all the interest by fresh drink processors, the supply of this fruit is scarce because of erratic supply to the market thus presenting opportunities to farmers in form of increased prices.

A visit to various market centers in Nairobi, Kiambu, Eldoret, Kisumu, Mombasa and other towns reveals that fewer traders sell the crop compared to bananas or mangoes this indicates very few farmers have taken the crop seriously as a source of revenue.

Economic importance of passion fruit farming in Kenya

Data from the Horticultural development authority indicates by 2010, the acreage of passion fruit in Kenya was 5,418 Hectares yielding 55,094 metric valued at 1.9 billion Kenya shillings.

The major challenge in production has been cited as lack of clean planting material free from woodiness caused by viruses and diseases like  like fusarium wilt and die back caused by fungi.

The only region where passion is not affected by stress from woodiness, fusarium wilt and dieback is western province therefore production should be encouraged in this region.

Another reason for increased production is the use of yellow passion as the rootstock that is resistant to fusarium wilt and die back.

This farming enterprise can easily be started with little capital yet the financial returns can be more than previously thought possible.

The crop produces high yields under proper care for instance a yield of 50,000 kg of passion fruit per hectare has been reported in Kenya.

Daily Data from the ministry of agriculture website indicates that the average price of One kilo of passion fruits is 50 shillings in various markets centers of the country; however, farmers can still sell at a higher price.

It is possible to earn more, if the farmer does direct marketing, that involves approaching restaurants, supermarkets and hotels that one most occasions buy one kilo for 100 shillings.

From one hectare,it’s  possible to earn over 2,000,000 shillings; an earning that exceeds that of maize, beans and many other farming enterprises.

Furthermore,the maturity and ripening of the fruits, does not happen at the same time some take 3 days others 1 week others 2 weeks.

This is advantageous, as it allows the farmer to harvest weekly, he will have time to market his produce.

It has also been proven that passions are perennial plants; once planted, their lifespan is long often exceeding 3 years; all these depends on how the plant is managed and fertilized.

During this long growth period, a farmer will be performing farm maintenance practices such as weeding, spraying with pesticides, and fungicides among others as he waits for harvest.

He can still intercrop with vegetables like beans cabbages and tomatoes, eggplants other recommended crops like potatoes, beetroot, spinach, strawberries, eggplants, onions, leeks and head lettuce.

However precaution should be taken not to intercrop with cucurbits like cucumbers, pumpkins, and other crops like okra, sweet potatoes or creepers as these crops are affected by those diseases that affect passion fruit.

One plant if carefully tended, can grow vigorously to a length of over 20 meters after the first 4-5 months of transplanting yielding over 50 kg of fruit.

The plant has a deep root system which is an ability that makes it resistant to drought.

Finally, passion fruit juice is a delicacy and is in high demand in the local and international markets thus a farmer is assured that his produce will be bought.

Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya – Propagation

The plant is propagated through seed, cuttings and through tissue culture.  Seed is the most common method of propagation for it is easily practiced even by inexperienced farmers.

The yellow passion is used as a rootstock since it is more tolerant to frost, nematodes and fusarium wilt compared to purple passion-fruit.

On the other hand, purple passion has a superior taste, higher juice content and hence a greater market demand.

Raising the rootstock and scion of yellow passion and purple passion respectively

To achieve high yields,  a farmer must graft purple passion on yellow passion as the later is resistant to many soil borne diseases and pests.

Passion Fruit Farming in Kenya – Sowing the Seeds

To reduce the germination period, soak the seeds in water for 24 hours.Start by sowing some seeds [say 30-50]of purple passion at a depth of 1 cm in separate plastic sleeves of a diameter of 15 cm and a depth of 25 cm.

After 3-4 months transplant them to a suitable place [the best place is near your nursery and close to a source of water] in the farm since they will act as a source of scions.

After transplanting the purple passion , sow the seeds of yellow passion fruit in plastic sleeves similar to those that you used for purple passion.

An important distinction between the seeds of the two varieties is, Yellow passion seeds are brown in color, while those of the purple passion are black in color.

Fresh seeds tend to germinate faster than older seeds therefore using them will save about 1 week.

After the yellow passion seedlings grow to a height of 15-20 cm and are woody, they are ready for grafting.

Poultry farming in Kenya – How Leah makes KSh.120,000 per Month

poultry farming

Poultry Farming in Kenya

The first thing that catches your eye when you arrive at Leamose Poultry Farm is a flock of multi-coloured indigenous chicken darting joyously from side to side inside a wire mesh fenced compound.That’s when one wants to try poultry farming.

The farm at Kabiruini village near the Nyeri showground and Dedan Kimathi University of Technology belongs to Leah Muthoni who crossbreeds indigenous chicken with exotic ones to improve productivity.

Good Read: Tips to getting more eggs from your chickens

Leah likes the crossbreed chickens because they are resistant to diseases and mature faster than the local Kienyeji chicken.

We found Leah this week in a green apron cleaning the water traps inside one of the chicken cages while feeding them with maize germ.

She directs one of her farm workers to lead us in.

“Cleanliness is what has ensured my chickens do not contract diseases easily,” she tell us.

Leah is keeping over 200 indigenous mature chickens after she sold more than 500 others over the last holidays.

She supplies the eggs and sells the mature birds to hotels and various supermarkets in Nyeri town. She also sells chicks to other farmers who come from as far away as Laikipia, Meru, and Kirinyaga.

The farmer went into poultry farming in 2013, with six Kienyeji chickens.

“My husband, a former police officer, then went to the bank and got me a loan of Sh400,000 with which I bought a hatchery, brooders, a water tank and water traps. I also installed electricity and constructed cages.”

She then enrolled in a poultry farming training which was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture.