April web

ENTERPRENURSHIP
“
A tour around
Kajajate’s farm is
proof that he surely
is an ambitious man.
There is evidence
of constant
activity, young
men and women
running about their
businesses...
“
too small for an ambitious Kajajate. He [Financial Access Commerce and Trade
was forced to buy more land to achieve Services] a Non-Bank financial institution,
his ambitions. Over the years, Kajajate has
been expanding and currently, his farm sits
on a massive sixty acres of land.
Matooke still dominates as the major
which helps to facilitate farmers through
finance and market, Kajajate managed to
get funding and started growing the beans.
Currently, he heads a group of sixty-five
income earner, although, he also grows farmers who work directly under him, thirty
other banana varieties. Other cash crops of whom are women. The beans, which
like; coffee, Irish potatoes, watermelon, have a ready market are purchased in bulk
pineapples, green pepper and onions have
from his farm when they ripen and he does
also been introduced.
not have to worry about price fluctuations
All these are farmed in a system of
because the price is fixed.
intercropping to ensure maximum use of
A tour around Kajajate’s farm is proof
the land. On one corner of the farm is an
that he is surely an ambitious man. There
orchard producing a variety of fruits like;
is evidence of constant activity, young men
mangoes, oranges, lemons and passion
and women running about their businesses,
fruits. Kajajate points out that during the
bicycles, motorcycles, pick up trucks and
matooke harvest, he produces about two
people either making deliveries of farm
thousand bunches monthly [a bunch of
essentials or buying ready products from
matooke is about ten thousand shillings on
the farm. There are two massive structures
average]. He was reluctant to give the exact
simultaneously under construction.
figures especially from the other crops,
which seem to fetch three times more in
One looks like a larger residential
value than the matooke when combined.
farmhouse much bigger with modern
Kajajate also practices animal design compared to the one he and his
husbandry, and on his farm are mixed breed family currently live in. The other, even
cattle, which produce large quantities of much larger has numerous extensions
milk. There is also piggery and poultry on on either side. Pointing to the structure,
his farm. Kajajate’s ambitious ways got him Kajajate explains that he plans to set up
venturing into the growing of beans on a a recreational facility for members of his
large scale to supply a seeds processing community to find a conducive place to
company. Through incentives from the relax after a hard day’s work, instead of
company [Pearl seeds], and FACTS going all the way to the town center.
Kajajate and his family
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Photos: R.N.Ayago