Young lady,Judy Musisia ventures into herbs farming and reaping big
Judy Musisia thought of venturing into herbs farming after Covid-19 hit the country. She was compelled to think outside the box, in a quest to get extra income, when many businesses were affected. “Being in quarantine was a real mental trigger for me. It was a wake up call I never knew I needed. It was time to seek a side hustle; an extra income source. I was in need of stability, a sure bet, something that would not be gravely affected by the pandemic, unlike our jobs which took a sudden halt and in my industry, any day that I do not go to site and report to work is a no-pay day. I went round in circles about what to do, tried online businesses, investing in Saccos, but I wasn’t pleased with the returns,” narrates Musisia, who completed an undergraduate degree in Construction Management in 2017 at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
She decided to talk to her parents to allow her to use part of the 10-acre farm that they own in Ukambani. “I approached my mother and father, with the idea that had been lurking in mind, something that hadn’t been seen nor heard of in our rural area – herbs. I had done my research on herb farming and it wasn’t an out-of-theworld venture – it was very doable, very possible. Farmers were doing it here in Kenya, and were actually making a pretty buck from it. I reached out to the herb farmers, spoke to them, visited their farms, asked questions, cross referenced the information I was given among the various farmers, joined online farming groups and prepared a list of requirements – do’s and don’ts, must haves, and all that I needed to actualise this idea that had slowly evolved to a vision. With this information and the support from my parents, I felt encouraged and that’s when my journey to being an herb farmer started,” explains Musisia, who visited farms in Athi River, Nyahururu and Murang’a.
She had to consider some factors first before embarking on this kind of farming. “First and most importantly, is water. Providentially, water was readily available at our farm. All I needed to do was piping from the water supply to the acre of land I wanted to try out my herbs. I opted for drip irrigation because of the efficiency and minimal wastage associated with the system. The irrigation plus water tank and support structure cost Sh250,000. Second was land preparation – ploughing, furrowing, preparing the beds and manuring the farm. Given the nature of the soil here, which is black cotton soil, we preferred to raise the beds because of the poor drainage properties of the soil. Manure is readily available from our cattle and chicken so all we had to do was spread it on the farm. The labour for this cost approximately Sh100,000,” says the first born among three siblings.
The farmer reveals that she wanted to grow two perennial herbs; and thyme, and one occasional herb – dill. The seeds and rosemary cuttings cost her Sh50,000, for an acre. “So I took up a big chunk of my savings and borrowed a loan from my parents to be able to raise the initial capital investment for this project,” says the farmer, who grows the herbs in Kantafu, some 4km off Kangundo Road, Machakos County.
Musisia says that she applies organic manure while preparing the land, but as they grow and mature, she alternates with rabbit urine and poly-feed foliar. “We mix one litre of rabbit urine with 20 litres of water and spray with a knapsack, mostly in the evening when the stomata are open. The urine contains higher nitrogen levels than most animals’ because they rarely drink water, and this nitrogen enhances the even growth of the herbs, and acts as a pesticide. Poly-feed is a water soluble, high quality fertiliser for foliar application. We use ploy-feed because it’s easily broken down, is fast-acting – meaning the plants will have an immediate boost in nutrients and is easily applicable during regular watering. We use a ratio of 500g of polyfeed to 4,000 litres of water, which is administered through drip irrigation.”
She says that she decided to grow a variety of thyme called German Winter because it is a rare, hardy variety of herbs and it does well in the area and takes three months after sowing the seeds.
The biggest challenge she has ever faced is market competition. “Since the product is mostly for export, product characteristics largely influence the market. The current specification is 12-18cm of the twig. So the overgrown are considered as low quality and the under-grown have to be given time to grow and meet this criteria of selection. This makes me vigilant as the farmer to ensure that all the conditions necessary for the best quality output are met. In export markets, we face a three-faced competition that is competition from the three angles – from the other suppliers of the exporter’s country, from the local producers of the importing country and from the exporters of competing nations. The product has to be of great quality for us to beat the competition – this keeps us on our toes.”
She adds: “Closely tied to this is scarcity of a suitable and reliable distribution channel. My distributor to the global market is a fellow herbalist who has hand-held me during this journey and the market knowledge is likely to reside with him. Therefore, I fully rely on him to be able to export my product
and relying on someone is not a very sustainable channel.”
Transportation is another challenge, especially during rainy seasons. “When it rains, transportation is largely affected because the roads here are marram and given the nature of black cotton soil, it is a nightmare to get to the tarmac. Like vegetables and some fruits, herbs are equally perishable and require a refrigerated truck/van to be transported to the airport or to the user. If I can’t transport the herbs, I can’t sell them and they end up going to waste, all which are a loss to me,” she says.
“We sell them in bunches. The size of the bunch is largely dependent on the buyer. The most requested size of the bunch is 100g and 150g. The market price also fluctuates due to global market fluctuations, political unrest and the currency exchange rate. The current rate is Sh35 per 100g. I’m currently seeking a local market for groceries, restaurants and other farmers who want to purchase cuttings,” says Musisia.
Thyme, she says, does not tend to be attacked by insects much, though “we have experienced very few instances of spider mites and aphids.” However, she reveals that fungal disease is the most common, specifically gray mold. The disease makes the plant turn brown and have droopy leaves. “The fungus thrives in warm, damp conditions, so we reduce chances of the disease by avoiding overwatering, and abiding by the strict watering schedule. We also use the rabbit urine as a pesticide, which has proven to be very effective,” says the farmer.
Musisia advises farmers to do extensive research first, before venturing into herb farming. “Have your market ready as you approach harvest season. This will streamline your process by avoiding wastage of the herb and disappointment of not having buyers. Marketing plays an important role in ensuring you have potential buyers for your crop.”
“I started farming on an acre of land and have learnt from my mistakes, I’d like to expand, taking into account all the lessons learnt. I’d also like to put up greenhouses,” says Musisia.
She reveals that she wants to make products from the herbs including herb oils, butters and cream, herb soaps, scrubs and syrups. “I’m in the initiation process of this vision – doing my research and due diligence. I pray it comes to fruition.”
Judy Musisia, shows herbs that she grows in her farm at Kantafu, Kangundo Road, Machakos County
