Orchard Picks Ltd; Growing is their business and they’re good at it
Three years ago, in the vibrant Kajiado County, Athi Kapiti plains; an idea christened Orchard Picks by Amee Dave was conceived. The new venture was to farm vegetables and fruits for export.
They started development on the first phase of the 30 acres in May 2019, and the first bunch of crop which was French beans was planted. That initial investment has now metamorphosized into 30 hectares of vegetables and fruit farming powerhouse that is being taken care of by a hardworking team of 30 workers employed on permanent terms. Orchard Picks is recognized as a brand of choice in the global markets. To date, the farm operations remain inspired by passion for quality, continued innovation and a drive to be the best in vegetable farming.
The story and journey of Orchard Picks begins when mother and son duo, Amee Dave and Gopal Goldthorp having lived and worked in UK decided to relocate back to Kenya, to join the family group of businesses PJ Dave Flora. Amee is the daughter to flower grower behemoth, the late Pravin Dave (May God rest his soul in peace). With time they set up their own company to compliment their mother company.
Their production is synonymous with quality, consistency and persistence. Each process is carefully observed from the farm to the market. “Since we begun cultivation, our primary focus has been quality we do not beat around the bush over it. As you are aware, the export market is very strict when it comes to MRLs. If your produce is rejected, you end up soiling your name and buyers will tend to shy away from you. We grow an array of crops which include; French beans, dragon fruits, cabbages, avocados, chilies, baby corns among others. French beans are our biggest production,” said Gopal Goldthorp.
With farming of this high value crops requiring specialized training, the farm has tapped into local workforce whom they have been able to train on good agricultural management. They have been pivotal in transferring the knowledge to local workforce, majority of them being women. The workers have undergone theoretical and practical training on farming including planting, bed maintenance, weeding, irrigation, harvesting and packaging.“We are fully committed to protecting the rights and working conditions of the workers. We look after our workers, adhering to and going beyond International Food Standards,” he said
According to Gopal,Orchard Picks sits in the beating heart of the community. The previously sleepy village has now become a thriving little town suburb with housing, the farm and a school.
Kajiado County has very good virgin soil and fertile land, availability of unexploited land for farming, trainable local youths and women, and it is proximate to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). These factors have placed Orchard Picks at an advantageous position of supplying fresh vegetables all year round.
French beans are one of the major export crops from Kenya that is propelling the country to the pinnacle of greatness. It is a fascinating venture especially when on contract basis and companies involved are committed in picking up the produce in good time as well as paying the farmers. Unfortunately, the consumption of French beans in Kenya is still low. “At the beginning, we used to sell our produce to other exporters who are exporters but currently we have mastered the art of growing and we are now able to export by ourselves,” he stated.
Orchard Picks has worked on maintaining the highest levels of good agricultural practices, environmental sustainability, judicious use of water through drip irrigation, filling of gallows to mitigate against soil erosion and empowering their farmhands through trainings. As a result, the company has attained Global GAP&GRASP certification for environment and good agricultural practices. “We have invested heavily in water harvesting; the key to success in French bean farming is water since they are heavy feeders. Besides, we have drilled a borehole,” he said.
In what demonstrates Orchard Pickscommitments to people, the company has been involved in CSR activities ranging from investment in the education sector by building a school serving around 400 students, construction of roads and also has a medical facility for their staff members. They also actively support animal rights by housing almost 700 cows and bulls which would have otherwise been sold off to slaughterhouses.
“We collaborate, working with other farms to source exactly what our customers requires. We are recognized for our people-orientated, personalized approach. Our family, our team, our suppliers and our clients work as one big, happy family. We strive to satisfy our customers to the best of our ability, providing a fast, professional and seamlessly efficient service.For our future, we have huge chunks of land and we are anticipating expanding the area of cultivation,” Gopal stated.
