Youth empowerment in agribusiness

Entrepreneur

About Me

My names are James Irungu and I am 26 years old. I am a businessman in Muranga County in a place Mukuyu. Currently I am the manager of Mugoiri Modern Small-Scale Farming Organization (MMSFO) and I oversee the running of the project. As the manager I liaise with the Farmers Training Centre (F.T.C) and other stakeholders to train youth groups in agribusiness. I am a very innovative and creative young man whose hobbies include swimming and playing handball.

My Business

I founded MMSFO in the year 2013 and it empowers the youth with skills in modern small-scale farming. This project sprouted from urbanization and unpredictable weather patterns that have dealt agriculture in the region a blow in terms of low productivity. Urbanization has led to subdivision of once vast farming areas into small units of land that are unsuitable for profitable agricultural enterprises. In addition to this, the youth have a poor perception towards agriculture.
The objective of the project is to deliver knowledge and skills in small-scale farming techniques to the youth while empowering them into capital intensive agribusiness and to enable them make more informed choices in agriculture for improved and sustainable livelihoods.
OBJECTIVES
1. To deliver knowledge and skills in suitable small-scale farming techniques while empowering the youth into agribusiness.
2. To enable the youth to make more informed choices in agriculture for improved and sustainable livelihoods.
Agribusiness project activities
The project involves setting up a drip irrigated model farm.
Armed with this knowledge, the youth groups are in a position to liaise with the Youth Enterprise Fund intermediaries in their Counties for funding. The intermediaries carry out viability assessments for all proposed business plans.
The training averagely runs for a duration of 1 week after where an evaluation is carried out to determine the level of adoption of new technologies among the youth. Productivity levels in the model farms are later assessed and compared with other non-irrigated farms where it is proved that drip irrigated model offers improved and sustainable farming and is profitable in terms of Agri-business.

Loan Proposal

SALARIES:
3 trainers @ 150$ each 450$ per month
4 farm hands @ 100$ each 400$ per month


EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES PURCHASES:
 Drip Irrigation Equipment 1,000 $
 Gardening tools
 Certified Seeds 30$
 Fertilizer 100$
 Fungicides/Pesticides 70$
 Knapsack Sprayers 100$
 Personal Protective 150$
Equipment 50$
Transport Cost 50$
Administration cost 50$
GRAND TOTAL 2,450$

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