Wednesday 30 November 2011

How to Make Fruit smoothies in Kenya

Today more people are increasingly health conscious globally.
Fresh fruits are generally rich in vitamin C, ant-oxidants, fiber, and phyto-chemicals. Fresh fruits protect the body from stress and diseases. Here below are exciting fruit smoothie recipes. Make delicious fruit smoothies at home and for business.
Materials
1pc stainless steel fruit knife
1pc can opener
1set plastic measuring spoon
1pc plastic measuring cup
1pc chopping board
3pcs plastic bowl
1pc spatula

Equipments
One unit unbreakable blender
1 unit kitchen scale
1unit Refrigerator with ice cooler chest (optional)

Packaging
Plastic cups
Straws

Examples of fruits which you can use to make fruit smoothies are:-
  • Ripe Bananas
  • Avocados
  • Melons
  • Lemons
  • Oranges
  • Strawberry
  • Mangoes
  • Pineapple
  • Papaya
  • Apple

Morning Glory Fruit Smoothie recipe


Ingredients:
2 cups ripe Bananas (peeled and sliced)
2 cups Strawberries (sliced)
2 cups Pineapple or Papaya (peeled and chopped)     
1 cup Apples (chopped and peeled)
1/2 cup Ice cubes(optional)
1 tsp Honey(optional)

In a blender mix a combination of ripe bananas, strawberries
 Pineapples or papayas, apples, ice cubes and honey.
  • Blend together until smooth
  • Serve immediately for breakfast or any preferred time of the day.
  • Enjoy the great delicate taste!

Tips for realization of your business dream in Kenya

A Business plan development is crucial for a successful farm business. A farm business plan is the road-map to a successful agriculture business. Furthermore most successful businesses are born out of a dream, a hobby, a vision, a passion or a drive. Every human being has a dream (some of them from child hood), But until you do something about the dream it remains a mere dream and never materializes. I can almost hear you asking, “What should I do with my dream? Don’t worry. You are in the right place as this article will teach you how to be successful in business. The components of a business plan are discussed below:-
  1. Write down the dream in details: The dream is the most important thing in your business, as it will drive your passion and motivate you to achieve it. The dream shows you where you are taking your business and it will keep you going when things get hard; therefore never loose focus of the dream.
  2. Identify the opportunity what human problems will your business solve? Or define the reason for existence of your business. A business must offer solution to a human problem or need for it to succeed. Therefore it goes without saying that every human problem is a business opportunity.
  3. Set simple achievable targets: write down what you need to do to make your dream come true. This should be simple achievable targets also known as SMART objectives.
       
S
Specific
The targets should be simple and clear
M
Measurable
Quantify the targets to enable measuring of results
A
Attainable 
Set a measure that you can deliver as you pursue your dream
R
Realistic
The target must be practical in relation to available resources
T
Time-frame
Set a period within which you need to achieve the dream

 4.  Decide on the form of business ownership: e.g. Family business, sole proprietorship, partnership, limited company etc
  1. Identify your products or service which you will offer the market.
  2. Conduct a simple market survey or research. Research need not be complicated and it involves:-
    • Asking the right questions.
    • Getting information.
    • Decision making based on the information.

Important Questions in market survey
  1. What market am I targeting?or Who will be my major customers? e.g supermarkets,  school children, people in estates.  
  2.  What are the customer’s preferences or what are they looking for. what are their needs?Remember people will only buy what satisfies their existing need.
  3. Is there any competition in the area for the product / service which I want to offer?
  4. What are the strengths and weaknesses of competitors? take advantage of the competitors weaknesses.
  5.  How much must I sell per month and at what price to break even and make profit?
a)      7. Write down the marketing plan for your dream business: Marketing is a fight to have your product or service as the preferred choice of your customers. How you carry out your marketing determines how far you will go in sales. The marketing plan is your master plan and it will be consulted more than any other document.
    The key items that you must include in your marketing plan are as follows:-
    • The pricing of your product or service: The price should recover the cost of production and earn a profit. A profit of between 20%-50% can be earned depending on the purchasing power of your customers, the price of competitors, and the inflation rate.
    • Sale tactic.
    • What will you do with spoiled products / returns?
    • How will you advertise your product /service? e.g. through radio, newspaper, word of mouth.
    • How will you deliver the product / service to the customers? e.g. bicycles, vans, internet or short message service can be used.
    • Remember that the market is dynamic and the answers to these questions may change or require modification during implementation.

    Financial plan: This section of your business plan is fed by all the above covered sections. Financial plan is about where the money will come from, how much you will need, what your income and expenditure will be, and by when you will have recovered the capital invested in the business.This section requires at least knowledge in basic book keeping skills and high level of accountability. Finally a business plan can help you get additional financing from financial institutions and/ or partners. Consult an expert after you have written down the basics of your business plan, in order to have a comprehensive business plan made for you. Remember a good business plan is the key to a successful business dream.

    Thursday 24 November 2011

    Types of Farm Business Records

    SOY YOGHURT DELIVERY
    We deliver are now delivering our freshly prepared, hygenically packed Soya yoghurt to our Nairobi clients on Thursdays between 9.30am to 10.00am, at Ngara stage. We have three fine flavours for our soya yoghurt namely stawberry, vannila and passion fruit. We deliver a minimum of 5 litres . The price of soya the yoghurt is @ksh 250 per litre. Some clients send motorbike couriers to collect their package and it has worked well.Ifintrested,kindly Email yagrein@gmail.com



    Farm business records keeping refer to documentation of events, business or news that occurs on the farm, and it is a crucial step in the success of every farming business. Farm records keeping provides the farmer with a tool to help in farm planning, farm management decision making, and projection of future profitability of the enterprise, with an aim of maximizing farm profit. Therefore three main reasons for keeping good records are:
    1) Income tax reporting
    2) Obtaining credit
    3) Management tool


    There are various types of farm records which include:-
    1)      Daily farm records: These are records of important events and activities that take place on the farm every day. These records serve for future planning of the farm activities. Example of  a daily farm record is shown below:-

                                 
    Date
    Activity
    1st October 2011
    200 broilers were sold
    25th October 2011
    Carrots plot was weeded
    17th November 2011
    Fish pond was stocked

    2)      Records of farm implements and equipments: as in the example shown below

    Date of purchase
    Type of Equipment
    Quantity
    Description/ remarks
    3rd October 2011
    Knapsack sprayer
    1
    Economy brand

    3)      Record of agricultural inputs: These shows type and amounts of farm inputs such as seeds, fertilizers etc .The farmer records amount purchased, amount used and amount left for each month.

    4)      Records of livestock and livestock products: Each type of livestock needs different records. Milk records and eggs records are good examples of livestock products records.


    5)      Records of animal feeds: These records show the types and quantity of feeds used and the amount of feed remaining in the store. an example of animal feed record is shown below:-

    Date
    Type of
    feed
    Quantity
    In store
    Quantity
    Bought
    Unit
    Price
    Total
    Cost
    Quantity
    Used
    Balance
    In store









    6)      Production records: These records document everything that is produced on the farm. They are mostly prepared on weekly basis which add up to monthly and annual records. These records monitor the value of the farm produce and measure progress in production and enable individual farmers to access farm credits. An example of production record is shown below.

    Date
    Type of Produce
    Quantity
    Value ( Ksh)
    5th September 2011
    Chicken broilers
    50 kg
    12,500
    3rd November 2011
    Green peas
    20 kg
    1,000
    10th December
    Watermelon
    100 kg
    2,000

    7)    Records for farm use: These records show the dates for land preparation, planting of different plots, sale or utilization of produce and rotation programs. They also include difficulties encountered on the farm such as disease and pest outbreaks.
    8)  Others:-  
    Farm expenditure records: Farm inputs used  
    Workers records:Salaries and other payments 
    Vehicle records: petrol, oil used and any repairs




    Millionaire farmers grow bulb onions in Kenya

    Modern bulb onion farmers are more than ever in need of up to date climate resilient agribusiness innovations for profitability and success. In only 3 months one acre hybrid bulb onions will give you gross income of Ksh 800,000. 3 months after f transplanting,onions  can produce a yield of 20,000 Kgs bulbs.1 Kg of Onions at wholesale market goes @ Ksh 50 i.e 20,000 Kgs × 50 Shillings = Ksh 1,000,000 minus average cost of production which is Ksh150, 000 per Acre = Ksh 750, 000 Net income.Bulb onions growing is suited to small-scale farmers, young farmers as well as large scale farmers.Onions can be grown all the year round particularly where irrigation is available. 

    varieties

    New High Yielding Hybrid varieties: This Include Red pinoy F1 , Jambar F1 , Red passion F1, Red comet F1 and Sivan F1 varieties among others. This can make you a millionaire within a year. 


     Red Creole -This is a popular traditional drought tolerant, fairly high yielding variety of bulb onions which has high market demand due to its good keeping quality.They mainly produce single bulb onions from transplants. They  are red, flat-round and with a pungent taste.
    Red Tropicana F1 Hybrid- this produces large, red, thick flat bulb onions with firm pungent taste.The variety is high yielding and needs high levels of management.

    Bombay Red- Is are bulb onions variety for dry and warmer conditions producing small to medium sized bulbs, which are globe shaped, purplish red and pungent.

    Yellow Granex FI Hybrid- Granex F1 hybrid is an early maturing as well as high yielding variety with attractive, thick flat bulb onion and thin yellow scales. It attracts high market prices due to its uniform shape, size and good storage quality.

    Bulb onions plants require cooler weather during the early stages of growth with a dry atmosphere and moderately high temperature for bulb formation & maturation. Bulb onion plants thrive well in warm to hot climates of 15-30°C, with Optimum temperatures for plant development ranging between 13 and 24°C.Bulb onions plants require light well drained soils with a PH of 6-7 and high fertility. Bulb onions plants need a substantial amount of water at bulb stage, but excess moisture must be avoided throughout the growing season. Irrigation is necessary especially on light sandy soils and can either be overhead or on drip irrigation. Stop irrigating the plants 2-3 weeks before harvesting, or when 20-30% of the tops collapse.

    Bulb onion plants are most commonly propagated using seeds which are first sown in a nursery to enable selection of strong healthy seedlings for transplanting. The seed rate is 2-3 kg per ha.
    To make the nursery prepare raised beds a metre wide and work in plenty of well decomposed manure as well as rock phosphate. Make drills about 15 cm apart, sow the seeds and cover lightly with soil and mulch. Irrigate the bed liberally for the first 10 days and continue watering the seeds regularly. Germination of seeds takes about 21 days after which the mulch is removed and used to make a shade above the tender plants. Transplanting of seedlings is done about 6-8 weeks after sowing, when the seedlings have pencil thick base and a height of approximately1 5cm. The ultimate yield of bulb onions is determined by the number of leaves that are formed prior to bulb formation; therefore seedlings should have 3 to 5 well formed leaves at transplanting time.  Two weeks before transplanting reduce the shade to improve seedling survival rate in the field.

    Incorporate well decomposed manure into the soil, at a rate of 25 to 40t/ha to obtain vigorously growing plants. Avoid application of fresh manure to the plants, as it will cause development of thick necks and excess leaves at the expense of bulb formation. Transplanting of seedlings is done in cool weather either in the morning or evening. Water the nursery bed thoroughly for ease of uprooting seedling for transplanting, and then make rows in the field 30cm [12’’] apart. Uproot the healthy strong seedlings leaving the weak seedlings to strengthen for planting latter. Prune the roots for better plants establishment. Plant the seedlings at a spacing of 10cm [4’’] within the row and 13mm [1/2’’] deep, and then firm up the surrounding soil. Irrigate the field before and after transplanting seedlings or alternatively transplant seedlings during the rains when the soil is moist.

    There are many pest and diseases that attack onions plants some of which are onion thrips, leaf miners, purple blotch, bacterial soft rot, leaf blight and downy mildew. These can be controlled using cultural control methods which include use of disease free seeds, harvesting mature bulbs only to avoid rotting in store, uprooting and burning isolated diseased plants, keeping the field free of weed plants to avoid alternative host, crop rotation and field hygiene,
    maintaining good air circulation during curing, packaging and storage of bulb onions. Chemical control is an option when infestation is severe.The field should be kept free of weed plants throughout the growing season Harvesting takes place 90-150 days after transplanting seedlings and bulb onions are ready for harvesting when the leaves collapse, or alternatively the leaves can be bent over and left to dry for 10-12 days. Pull mature bulb onions manually from the soil and cure them in the sun for 10-14 days with the bulbs covered by the leaves. Cut dried leaves 3.5cm [1.5 inches] from the stem and remove the roots, then grade bulbs according to size & quality. Pack in jute or net bags for storage or immediate sale. Yields of Bulb onions can go up to up to 20 tons per hectare.For more information read



    Garlic/Bulb Onions Farming e-manual
    We sell detailed Bulb Onions Growing e- Manual .The document is a good source of information and covers details about Onion Farming including: -

    1.     Varieties suitable for growing in Kenya

    2.     Capital investment &Returns per acre

    3.     Nursery Establishment

    4.     Planting bulb onions

    5.     Planting Garlic

    6.     Pests and their Control

    7.     Diseases and their control

    8.     Post planting field management

    9.     Plant vigour maintenance for high yields

    10.  Yields of onions

    11.  Yields of Garlic

    12.  Post harvest handling

    13.  Business plan preparation

    14.  Farming Records and accounts.

    15.  Farm salaries and wages Records

    16.  Farm Cash register

    We shall email the e-manual to you after payment thro’  MPESA.. Email yagrein@gmail.com for more information.