Mr. Adisu Barako is a trader who buys shoats from agro-pastoralists in Marsabit County and sells in Isiolo and Nairobi markets. He benefitted greatly after learning collective sourcing of shoats from FCI under the Tearfund funded Agro-pastoralist Commercialization and Markets Programme in Northern Kenya. He used to source his shoats from individual farmers or from the highly priced local markets denying him vital cash flow to meet normal basic family needs.

After capacity building by FCI on collective sourcing from Commercial Villages, Mr Adisu weekly sales volume increased from 25 Shoats to an average of 60 Shoats resulting to a 240% increase in monthly sales from Ksh 75,000 to Ksh180,000. This was made possible through linkage to Commercial Villages and establishment of bulking centres for shoats where CV members would aggregate between 35- 50 shoats in a specific day agreed upon with the buyer.

The Commercial Village model and establishment of bulking centres saved Mr. Adisu a lot of money and valuable time spend in sourcing shoats from individual farmers. Before the FCI intervention, Mr. Adisu would source 25 shoats in three or more days but he is now able to source 60 shoats within a day. This ease of doing business has allowed him more time to concentrate on his farm and attend to other family engagements.

Mr. Adisu has not only been ploughing back his profits to grow his business but has also constructed a semi- permanent house estimated at Ksh 48,000 from the profits of his business. He is optimistic to double his returns next year by sourcing shoats twice a week.

Mr. Halakhe Wako a standard eight leaver and member of Dirib Gombo Commercial village developed passion for green grams farming after attending commercialization campaigns by Farm Concern International under the Agro-pastoralist Commercialization and Markets Programme in Northern Kenya. Halakhe completed his primary school education in 2013 and did not join secondary school due to lack of fees.

Halakhe used to look after his family’s livestock on completing primary school level. He developed passion for farming after he attended several trainings on commercialization of green grams and youth empowerment forums organized by Farm Concern International. He moved full throttle and planted green grams on his family one acre land. 

He harvest 300kgs and FCI linked him to a buyer in Marsabit town who bought at KES.110/kg earning him KES. 33,000. This was a lot of money for the 17 year old Halakhe who had never raised his own KES. 1,000 from tending his family livestock. This was made possible by adoption of good agricultural practices including land preparation, spacing, application of the right chemicals to control pest and diseases and post-harvest management. 

Halakhe used KES. 20,000 from the green grams sales to buy one cattle in view of fattening and selling again, KES. 5,000 to buy one goat and put aside the balance to cater for planting and weeding expenses in the next season. “The Programme has transformed my life for better even after missing an opportunity to go to secondary school. I will continue farming green grams and even up scaling through increasing acreage under green grams and buying more livestock for trading” said a joyful Halakhe. 

For many seasons Mr. Yate tried farming to compliment income from his electrical wiring job that he had been doing since he completed college. He planted maize and beans, the only crops he knew and understood as the best and the suitable for Marsabit and he also found his parents farming as he grew up, for many season but what he got out of it was really discouraging since Marsabit weather is unpredictable and most of the time received very little rainfall. This continued for many years until he attended commercialization campaigns facilitated by FCI under the Agro-pastoralist Commercialization and Markets in Northern Kenya supported by Tearfund.

Mr. Samuel Yate transformed from subsistence farming to profitable farming on joining Dakabaricha Commercial Village after attending commercialization campaigns by FCI on green grams production and he got interested in the value chain and the whole idea of commercial Village Model. He put green grams farming to a test and followed all what he was trained on. His adoption came at a very right time according to him, for those who planted maize or beans incurred huge loses following rainfall failure experienced last season in Marsabit County. FCI linked Samuel to agricultural extension service providers including the Ministry of Agriculture and input companies who trained him on pest and disease control, safe chemical use and use of N26 variety certified seed of green grams which is suitable for Marsabit climate and soil. Mr. Yate used correct spacing and he was very keen on observing even slight changes with his crops in terms of attack by pest or diseases. 

Mr. Yate harvested 700kgs of green grams from his 2 acres land and he sold all of them at KES 100 per Kg and got KES

70,000/- which recorded the highest profit margin compared to other crops that he used to plant in the past. This marked an historic moment in the farming endeavor of Yate who used to earn a mere Ksh. 10,000 (USD 100) from the sale of maize and beans in the previous years thus a 700% increase in income. The increase in yield from 2 acre land was a clear indication to Mr. Yate that N26 variety of green grams was suitable for Marsabit climate and soil, increase in income was also another indication that green grams has higher value compared to the traditionally grown maize and beans. “Green grams produced by Marsabit farmers were declared the best by local traders comparing to green grams imported from Meru and Moyale,” says Mr. Yate. 

The increase in yield can be attributed to application of good agronomic practices and market linkages by FCI which ensured Yate and other Commercial Village members sold directly to traders without going through a broker. 

Mr. Samuel Yate decided to invest the money he got from green grams sales and build 3 roomed rental houses which he said will continue generating sustainable income. Mr. Yate plans to expand hhis acreage under green grams in the coming season to 5 acres and hopes to use the income to build more rental houses and build his family a modern house.  “I thank Farm Concern because my life and that of my family has changed for good” said an elated Mr. Yate. 

From adoption of Good Agronomic Practices, Mrs. Hadija Guyo has increased her green grams yields from 5-8kg/quarter acre to 50kg/quarter acre, a 900% increase. Hadija, a single mother of two, attended training at Boru Haro in Kukub Tiro CV where a demo was conducted by FCI and the Ministry of Agriculture on how to plant and space green grams and how to identify good quality seeds (N26).

When she planted green grams again in April, Hadija followed all the procedures she got from training. She put manure in her ¼ acre of land and prepared by ploughing and harrowing it well before she planted the N26 variety distributed by the MoA.

After harvest, Hadija was linked to a trader called Mariam. She sold her 50kgs of green grams at KES100/kgs totaling to KES 5,000 (USD 50.35). With this money, she paid for her child’s medical expenses, bought some food stuffs for her family and saved the remaining amount for monthly contributions to her group, Kukubo Tiro youth group.