Women farmers show a passion for business

18 March 2013

The fortunes of thousands of women farmers in Kenya's Kwale County are beginning to be transformed by Farm Africa's Maendeleo Agricultural Enterprise Fund (MAEF).

2,100 women farmers have been brought into the project to learn how to increase their production of good quality passion fruit. In addition, and just as important, they will learn how to earn a sustainable income from their crops through improved processing and marketing.

The women farmers have already been provided with the seeds they need to significantly increase production of their passion fruit. In addition, a demonstration plot has been set up, while 11kg of quality passion fruit seedlings have been distributed among the farmers for planting on over more than 200 acres of land.

Getting down to business

The women are organized and ready for business, having formed marketing groups and built collection centers where farmers can bring their passion fruit for processing and packaging.

Full training on how to process their fresh fruit into attractive products like fresh passion fruit juice, jam and pulp has already been provided to sixty farmers. Training on how to package their products attractively to increase their marketing and sales potential has also been provided to a similar number of women.

Trade Fair success

All the hard work the women are putting into their passion fruit business is obviously paying off. Their products have already caught the attention of the market, while they were recently thrilled to be invited to show their products at a high-profile international trade fair in Mombasa.

And, they’ve also recently showcased their products at a Kenyan national farming conference in Nairobi.

Find out more about our passion fruit project.

Find out more about how MAEF is funding other women farmers in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to grow more food and develop collective businesses.

If you would like to support this project and our other work, please make a donation.