Youth groups make huge returns from snow peas harvest

14 July 2015

Farm Africa’s Youth Empowerment in Sustainable Agriculture (YESA) project in Kenya builds young people’s skills in developing agricultural enterprises.

Thanks to the project, 87 producer youth groups based in Transzoia County in western Kenya have a reason to celebrate, as they are now reaping huge returns from their snow peas harvest.

Mobilising over 2,300 young people

Through the YESA project Farm Africa has mobilised over 2,300 young people into producer groups who are growing vegetables for export under contractual farming with local company Keitt Exporters.

The chairman of Nyuki youth group mentioned:

“We attended one of the Farm Africa trainings and decided to work with them to grow snow peas. It was our first time to see the snow peas grow. We were therefore very excited to have agronomists training and monitoring our activities and guiding us on production. This is the first time we have had interactions with agriculture officers and we are hopeful to gain good income from our produce.”

Receiving technical support

The different groups have received technical support on how to commercialise snow peas from the YESA agribusiness manager, Stephen Bundi. 

“We have supported over 80 groups in this county and this one is one of our more successful groups. We supported them with drip kits, hybrid seeds and tanks and we are providing them with training on good agronomic practices, and safe use of pesticides.”

The group has since established a demonstration site, where they harvested over 550 kg from their first harvest.

Increasing families’ incomes

The sales profit from their snow peas harvest has enabled most group members to buy more land, which will enable them to grow even more crops in the years to come.

Evelyn, a 28-year-old mother of four, laughs heartily and exclaims:

“We now have a reason to smile because we are earning big money! The group is looking to get into nursery management and is hoping to build a nursery with the capacity to hold 10,000 seedlings, which will be operated by one of the youth in the group.”