SokoFresh boosts the banana value chain in Meru County

Horticultural value chains in Kenya are characterised by the seasonality of produce, improper post-harvest handling, and high standards for export markets.

The main reason is that food production in Kenya – and other East African markets – is highly distributed, with about five million smallholder farmers responsible for 90% of Kenya's food production. These farmers don't have enough income to invest in professional equipment, even though they produce large enough volumes to account for better practices combined. 

SokoFresh, a company working to enhance climate adaptation, focuses on a business model innovation to provide Mobile Solar Powered Storage Unit Services to small farmers. Through its services, SokoFresh can reduce post-harvest loss to less than 10% and drastically increase the income of smallholder farmers. Furthermore, SokoFresh empowers producers by linking them to buyers directly to provide better prices and integrating near-field processing to ensure a profitable destination for 2nd-grade produce.

In November 2021, SokoFresh, a Mobile Solar Powered Storage Unit Service provider, took their storage and cooling services to Meru County. 

Martin Mbabu, a 32-year-old banana farmer, was introduced to the SokoFresh team in February when one of the agents approached him and introduced the idea to his harvest. 

'I used to sell my bananas to another company, and they always collected them from my farm. However, early this year, they stopped. They asked us to take the product to a collection point. 

With this inconvenience, Martin explained, I decided to try SokoFresh, who would collect the bananas from our farms.

'The team not only comes to collect the produce, but they also come with a team of trained harvesters to train the farmers to reduce post-harvest losses, he added.

Martin harvests bananas on his farm

Once the bananas are harvested, the harvesters cut them from the stem before they are cleaned using Tecto. This antifungal substance removes banana sap and inhibits mitosis.

This process is followed by weighing and packing bananas into crates before loading them onto the truck and transporting them to the cold storage facility at the SokoFresh hub in Meru.

Cleaning and packing of the harvested banana

Martin is happy that he can take care of his young family from the proceeds of the banana crop.

"SokoFresh buys the bananas at Ksh. 14 per kilogramme and, on average, harvests between 1.5 to 2.0 tonnes of banana per month', he explains.

'Once they finish weighing, I am paid before the truck sets off', he added.

Sarah Ndinda, Meru Hub Operator, notes that the service is helping farmers to reduce post-harvest loss whilst attracting a better market. "The bananas always look fresh", she explains.

Mary Gikunda, another banana farmer who started working with SokoFresh this year, is happy with the team of harvesters who collect bananas.

With over 15 years of experience as a banana farmer, Mary is happy to note that the SokoFresh harvesters respect her produce and do not leave her compound in a mess after they finish the collection exercise.

So impressed was Mary that she decided to have them take over the operations of her farm in Mitunguu area (1.5 acres). She also introduced the team to her other farm in Nkubu, which is two acres.

Herbert Kinoti, Operations Manager, SokoFresh, is happy that the Meru hub operations have harvested the crops. The technology, he says, is easy to use in Kenya as it harnesses all the solar energy needed to power the cold rooms.

'This is an automated device that one can monitor the operations from anywhere, and in case there is any problem, we can rectify the same in real time', he explains.

The units are also hybrid; they can connect to grid power when necessary (especially in very cold temperatures).

The Meru Hub serves individual farmers who need SokoFresh services. Currently, 1550 farmers are registered with them across the avocado, banana, and mango value chains.

Herbert concludes, 'Although we have more men registered at 70%, we also have a good number of female farmers currently at 30% and growing'.

By Rosemary Nzuki, DFCD communications manager for Africa