Potato farming

Entrepreneur

About Me

My full name is Rachel Wanjiru Njuguna. I am married with one son. I grew up on a farm with my 4 siblings. My dad is a farmer and he has been very kind in mentoring me and showing me how to go about farming. I have done potato farming for the last two years. I started with one acre and last year I did two acres.
I have a diploma in marketing management. Apart from farming, I work as an accounts clerk in a hotel.
I started potato farming with my savings. My dad encouraged me to think outside of the box and start farming.
In 2011, I gave birth to my son and I decided to be a stay at home mum until January 2014 so that my son could get the best care. It was not easy because my husband's income was not much. I started saving from the money he left me for daily use. I joined women's groups and this has really helped me to save and support my family.
From this experience, I have become very passionate about women's empowerment and I really encourage the women I interact with to save and work hard. I hope one day to have an organization that supports women.

My Business

I do potato farming. Potatoes are always in demand in Kenya. Apart from the french fries which are consumed daily in hotels, potatoes have many other uses. I chose potato farming because, having grown up in a farm, I have seen how farming can change peoples' lives. My dad was able to educate the 5 of us through farming. Farming also has good returns when done properly.
The typical costs in potato farming are: seeds, fertilizer, labour and pesticides. One spends like 35,000 in an acre and you get a profit of 30,000 to 40,000 within 3 months. I use the profit I get in educating my son, for reinvestment and for house expenses.
My plan is to be able to do more than 50 acres with time. I am requesting this loan because I believe I can start small and go very far.

Loan Proposal

My next loan will still go into farming. The main things i will farm are potatoes and green peas. There is a lot of money agribusiness but to be successful one has to be consistent and never lose hope.
Farming has done a lot for me. Am hoping to buy a family car by next year if all goes well with my farming.

LOAN BUDGET
SEEDS - 700 dollars
FERTILIZER - 500 dollars
LABOUR - 300 dollars
PESTICIDE S - 540 dollars

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