Irigiro Organic Avocado Group

Background

Irigiro Mofarm organic fresh avocado producer group was registered in July 2017.The group is located in Muthithi ward in Kigumo sub-county of Muranga County, Kenya. The group has 90 registered members where 47 are male and 43 female. Only 5 of the members are youth.It is estimated that each member has on average between 10-20 plants of avocado (this comes close to a total of 180-1800 plants).

Baseline situation

Future Focus Development (FFD) first carried out a baseline study to understand the situation on the ground. It was established that apart from avocado production, members also grow mangoes, tissue culture bananas and also dairy farming. An average farmer in the locality rears one cow. This explains why the county government prioritizes in dairy, avocado and banana value chains. The group members are at an altitude of 1421m above sea level.

According to Kenya avocado commodity business plan 2015-2025, Muranga County leads in the production and exportation of avocado from Kenya. The county accounts for 55% of the entire avocado produced in the country, the report records.

Among the key challenges small producers face in a rural setting in the county, are limited extension services, inaccessibility to credit facilities and limited market linkages among others. Before the formation of the group, members of Irigiro had suffered serious exploitation from brokers. Middlemen in the area buy avocados from farmers at as low as Kshs3.00 per piece for all avocado varieties (Hass, Fuerte and local varieties). The farm-gate price of an extended bag of between 60-80kgs was bought at a throw-away price of Kshs400.00.

Capacity building

FFD was contracted through AGRA to carry out capacity building of horticulture and small scale producers in Muranga County among others in the IFAD/Treasury funded Programme for rural Outreach in for Financial Innovation and Technology (PROFIT). The project conducted capacity building sessions in partnership with financial institutions, Ministry of Agriculture and other stakeholders in the avocado value chains. The capacity building included training on production, financial management and marketing.

Contract farming

One of the group’s five Collection centres

The Project in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture at the county level assisted linking the irigiro farmers to Mofarm fresh fruits exporters limited, a local company that deals with exportation of fresh organic fruits and vegetables. Mofarm is located off Tafuta road, Utawala in Nairobi (website: http://www.mofarmexporters.com). “The company has its own extension officer and from time to time conducts both internal and external audits to ensure farmers abide with the set production and quality standards” says Irigiro chairman, Mr. Kamande. Each individual member is required to sign a committal letter stating that all farm produce must be produced organically without use of conventional chemicals such as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and fungicides adds Mr. Kamande. The company has organized five collection centres where farmers deliver their crop and the company with their own transport collects the produce from the farm.

Financial and market linkages

According to the contract, Hass avocado variety attracts Ksh65 per kgs while the Fuerte is bought at Kshs5 per piece. However, the Hass variety attracts an annual bonus of Kshs5 per Kgs.

Farmers access banking and credit services at Kenol shopping centre, some 15km away.

The main financial institutions are Equity bank agents, Mentor Sacco MFI, Amica MFI and Kenya Women Finance Trust (KWFT) bank among others. The group has opened a bank account with Mentor sacco (account No.1200000040). Payment is made through this account before sharing the money to members according to their production.

What was the turning point?

Capacity building of members on group governance and leadership management, avocado production, financial management all facilitated by the Ministry Agriculture, SMEP, MENTOR Sacco and PROFIT as well as linkages to export market was the turning point to this group.

Members Certification Inspection Form for quality Controls Impacts and lessons learnt

Unity is strength! Divided the small scale producers suffered exploitation by the middlemen. It is projected that once the group makes its sales in the coming season the sales will improve members’ incomes and eventually their livelihoods. Joyce Muthoni, a farmer and a member of Irigiro group states that “It will be easier now for members to pay school fees their children”. Joyce continues to say that “already the brokers who have for a long time survived on exploiting farmers have since shifted to other regions”