Afande Moses, an entrepreneur and online influencer from Kisii County, has urged young people to practice farming after making good money.

The contractor, who founded Creative Jenga, said that he got into farming a couple of months ago.

“I was curious to know whether agriculture would pay more than other formal hustles.”

Inspired by President William Ruto’s love for farming, Afande leased 12 acres of land in Narok County and planted maize.

He gave a breakdown of the costs involved and the profits made.

“Leasing one acre of land costs KSh 10,000, so for 12 acres, it will be KSh 120,000. Ploughing for the first time will cost KSh 36,000, as one acre costs KSh 3,000.”

Afande then planted maize, which he estimates cost him around KSh 100,000.

In total, Afande says he invested around KSh 230,000 in the farm, and based on his projected harvest and current market prices, he is set to sell the maize for KSh 690,000.

“The profits amount to KSh 460,000, and with two planting seasons in a year, I can make almost a million.”

Like any venture, he faced challenges.

“A major challenge is doing research and being knowledgeable about what one wants to plant because, without a deep understanding, you are likely to fail.

Secondly, as a farmer, you must plant at the same time as other farmers because if you plant early or late, you might run into losses due to theft. If theft happens across numerous farms, it reduces your risk.”

Afande admitted that large-scale farming is expensive but noted that maize is not affected by many diseases and pests.

He further called on other influencers to try their hand at agriculture.

“It is profitable. Currently in Narok, some farmers don’t plant to harvest for storage – when it reaches the roasting or boiling stage, they immediately bring in buyers.

Influencers can come in as marketers of the produce, or they can plant their crops for sale. I realized nothing pays more than agriculture as long as you have the startup capital.”

In other news, TUKO.co.ke reported that after being removed from office, Kawira Mwangaza turned her focus to private ventures.

She runs Baite TV with her husband, despite facing a trademark dispute over the station's name.

The couple also manages Baite Family Fellowship Church in Makutano and maintains a thriving farm with dairy cows, goats, and bees for honey production.

Recently, Kawira was photographed actively participating in farm work. With multiple income streams, she appears to be doing well financially despite no longer serving as Meru governor.

Source: TUKO.co.ke