Influencer: How I make Sh400,000 from my small farm
Alex Moseax is a farmer and social media influencer, he makes at least Sh400,000 from farming every four months.
When did you venture into farming
I started farming after college back in 2014. To be honest I did it because I had no other option of making pocket money.
What inspired you to be a farmer
My parents have been farmers since I was a kid and nearly 80 per cent of our family income came from farming. During holidays I used to help in the farm and I learnt a lot practically about farming, from herbicides, good fertilisers, better seeds and what to plant where as well the best seasons for different crops.
What was your first seed capital?
I started with Sh6,000 which I used to buy three bags of fertilisers. My dad gave me one acre and eight sacks of irish potatoes so starting off was not that expensive. Since I had no capital to employ a farm manager, I had to do the planting, weeding and molding alone with a little help from my father’s farm manager.
What lessons have you learnt over the years as a farmer?
I have more often than not met people who think farming is for the poor. I am a social media influencer and hence I tell some of my friends I am a farmer, they don’t understand why. Farming needs dedication, without proper management it can be very unrewarding. I have also realised that much as this is something I grew up seeing my parents do, I need expeet advice on things like pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers. With proper management, farming is a rewarding investment.
What have the challenges you have gone through as a farmer?
Brokers are the worst nightmare to every farmer, these are the cartels who control market prices! Since I don’t have enough capital, and Ready market to pack, transport, and sell the farm produce, I have to depend on these guys! Apart from that, weather patterns are unpredictable hence you can’t get the maximum produce as required.
What’s your top tip to someone planning to venture into farming?
Always make sure you use genuine farm inputs, avoid growing what you are not familiar with and do timely farming, so that you can harvest when the prices are high.
So how much do you make from one acre?
This depends on the season. Normally one acre can produce 40 – 50 sacks of potatoes per season with one sack selling at Sh 4,000 to Sh 5,000. Roughly you can get between Sh150,000 to Sh 250,000 per season (4 months). Peas go from Sh30- Sh 50 per kilo and in one acre you can get up to 3,000 kilos which translates to Sh 120,000 to Sh 150,000 per season (4 months). In short you can make up to Sh 400,000 in four months.
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