Farmers and entrepreneurs have come up with novel ways to make money out of produce that would otherwise be left to rot for lack of storage space.
With up to 30 to 40 per cent of farm produce going to waste after harvest, efforts to prevent these losses are being stepped up. Farmers are being encouraged to improve their storage and post-harvest handling practices. Others are taking the longer route and helping farmers by buying their produce and adding value to it.
Among them is Tei Mukunya who is an entrepreneur, a rising star that has taken the sector by storm. She adds value to fruits, vegetables and grains, providing an assured market for the produce, and boosting farmers’ income.
No longer are they forced to watch helplessly as their produce rots. And they sell it to her at a fair price even when the market is flooded.
Walk into any supermarket or shop and if you are looking for deliciously dried fruit snacks or healthy nutritious flour, you will not fail to find Azuri Health products, in well-designed packets and defined by the fiery orange and black colours of the producer. Azuri products are an assortment of tasty, crunchy, and sweet dried fruits that include bananas, pineapples, mangoes, apples and coconuts; and also a delicious tropical mix that one can refer to as dried fruit salad.
Ask questions because trial and error can be expensive Tei and her team often learnt the ropes through trial and error and sometimes the errors led to huge losses. To avoid this, she began asking questions and realised it helped her learn more and avoid mistakes
There is also a nutri-porridge, a high-fibre food supplement in the form of flour mixture, rich in natural nutrients and minerals and sweet flour potato flour. These products, which one might think are imported, are what Tei produces under and she was forced to produce herself. In 2010, she took on a partner and changed the name of the company to Azuri Health Limited.
Her new partner, an experienced entrepreneur, discovered the products were under-priced, She increased them slightly, formalised operating systems and for the first time in two years, Azuri recorded a small profit.
Every decision that one makes has to be well-thought-out. This was a lesson the two ladies learnt the hard way when they decided to invest in an electrical drier to do 24-hour processing, and increase their sales. The result? High electricity bills.
That year, the company suffered huge losses, forcing then to revert to sun drying. Ask questions because trial and error can be expensive Tei and her team often learnt the ropes through trial and error and sometimes the errors led to huge losses. To avoid this she began asking questions and realised it helped her learn more and avoid mistakes. She also took up the services of KEBS (Kenya Bureau of Standards) and the University of Nairobi to advise her on her products.
The two organisations were instrumental in ensuring the Azuri product was of the highest quality. The agripreneur believes that everything the company produces has to be edible; and true to this, her home and office are often teeming with healthy snacks. “Passion alone is not enough to make a business successful,” she says, in advice to aspiring entrepreneurs. Business mentors can guide you to success. Unfortunately, Tei had to part ways with her partner, but she soldiered on. As her business began to take shape, the crucial role she was playing in adding value to fruits and vegetables, and helping to reduce post-harvest losses, caught the attention of some non-governmental organisations.
Export market
Today, Tei is enjoying the fruits of her labour, having grown her company from a start-up worth a few thousand Kenya shillings to one with a turnover of millions. Her determination to grow further has seen her exploring the export market. She is also working on developing quality and nutritious products that will serve the Bottom of Pyramid (BOP) population. She has proven that one can make a fortune using simple techniques to add value to agricultural produce.
Agribusiness lessons from Tei
Think about a decision before you make it because well-thought-out decisions save time and money;
Ask questions; it helps you learn more and avoid mistakes;
Passion alone is not enough to make a business successful. Take advantage of business mentors to guide you to success
It pays to follow your heart sometimes; so go ahead and follow it!
Formalise your business processes and books. This way you can know your costs and moving your business to the next level becomes much easier.
How to sun dry your fruits and vegetables at home
When choosing the fruits or vegetable to dry, pick a good quality one. Ensure the size is moderately large as you will have to cut the fruit or vegetable into pieces. Since your dried product will probably end up as a food product, it is always advisable to taste the starting material to ensure the product is satisfactory;
Most contamination will come from hands. Therefore, thoroughly wash your hands with soap or any other detergent to avoid contaminating the food to be dried. Also make sure the person doing the drying is free from infections such as colds;
Wash to remove any dirt and then soak in water with a bit of vinegar for 10 minutes to remove pesticide residues. Peel mangoes before cutting them into slices. Cut into small strips for vegetables or thin cubes for fruits. Try to be consistent in size because you want them to dry at more or less the same rate.
Most vegetables don’t require treatment prior to drying them in the sun, but for tomatoes you can add red wine, vinegar or salt. Spread vegetables or fruits on a clean surface and cover with a clean light net to prevent insects and children from messing around with your food.
Put out on a table in direct sun, or you can put it on your roof away from dust. Different things take different amounts of time to dry in the sun. Usually, drying time ranges between two and four days. Do not leave the vegetable/fruit you are drying outside at night, rather store it indoors and remove again the next day. When the fruits are done, dehydrating they will appear wrinkled and but not too dry .
For fruits such as mangoes or tomatoes they will have a leathery texture. If there are still moisture beads on the fruit after it has been torn open, this means that you need to keep them in the sun a bit longer.
Once they are dried, store them in an airtight container or plastic bag to make sure no moisture gets in.