Smallholder farmers across Africa, from Kenya and Sierra Leone to Egypt and Burkina Faso, have been hit hard by food crises and rising inflation. Yet, amidst these challenges, some farmers are proving that innovation and value addition can turn agriculture into a profitable, sustainable business.
One such farmer is Samuel Njue from Embu, Kenya, who shared his inspiring journey with The African Executive’s Monicah Kimeu. His story shows how passion, knowledge, and strategic thinking can transform farming into a source of wealth and empowerment.
🌱 From Childhood Passion to Agripreneurship
Njue’s journey began early. As a child, he accompanied his father to agricultural shows and trade fairs, experiences that sparked his lifelong passion for farming.
“Proceeds from my father’s farm financed my education all the way to university,” he recalls. “That showed me agriculture’s true potential.”
After studying agriculture at university, Njue worked as an agricultural officer for over a decade in Kangundo, Kenya. There, he noticed something troubling: many farmers were earning too little, despite their hard work.
Whether it was cotton farmers struggling to make profits or mango farmers watching their produce rot, one thing was clear: the problem wasn’t production, but a lack of value addition.
🍋 Turning Produce into Profit: The Power of Value Addition
So what exactly is value addition?
Njue explains it simply:
“If I have mangoes or passion fruits, I don’t just sell them as they are. I crush and sieve them to remove seeds, dilute the juice to taste, and bottle it. By moving from raw produce to a finished product, I sell at a higher price. That’s value addition.”
This simple process transforms a low-value crop into a market-ready product, creating new income streams and reducing waste. It’s an idea that can revolutionize smallholder farming across Africa, if farmers think beyond production and start thinking like entrepreneurs.
🌍 Learning Through Exchange: A Path to Innovation
One of the most effective ways to ignite this mindset shift, Njue says, is through farmer exchange programs.
During his years in government service, he helped run a Kenya–Israel farmer exchange program. The results were remarkable: Kenyan poultry farmers learned the battery system, which allowed them to rear 1,000 chicks in the same space that previously held only 100.
“Such exposure helps farmers think business,” Njue explains. “They come back home ready to innovate and add value to what they do.”
💼 Why Farmers Must Think Commercially
Njue believes that commercialization is the next big step for African farmers.
“When farmers view farming as a business, they’ll seek consumers, explore markets, and plan strategically,” he says. “Profit becomes the incentive, and that drives productivity.”
He notes that Kenya, for example, produces an abundance of mangoes but still imports juice from South Africa and Saudi Arabia. Local farmers could easily fill that gap through small-scale processing, packaging, and branding.
However, Njue also calls for supportive policies to enable commercialization. Historical programs like Guaranteed Minimum Returns once ensured farmers' stable income, but political interference and weak agricultural policies have left farmers vulnerable.
🌾 Building Networks and Sharing Knowledge
Another critical lesson Njue learned from the Pan-African Workshop for Smallholder Farmers is the power of networking.
“Rich people have golf clubs where they meet, discuss business, and make deals. Farmers need the same kind of networks,” he says.
He envisions farmer clubs or associations where members can share ideas, learn about new technologies, and collaborate on challenges like market access and value addition.
Njue also stresses that research findings rarely reach farmers, leaving them stuck with outdated methods. Capacity building and information sharing are key to transforming Africa’s agricultural landscape.
🌾 The Hidden Treasure: Amaranth
Njue is particularly passionate about amaranth (mchicha) - an ancient grain with powerful nutritional and economic potential.
“Amaranth has proteins not found in other plants, is rich in vitamins, and even produces oil used in computer engineering,” he explains.
With changing dietary habits in Kenya and across Africa, Njue believes amaranth could become a major cash crop if farmers invest early.
🍽 Rethinking Food and Trade in Africa
To address the food crisis, Njue urges African governments to broaden the definition of food and promote traditional crops like millet, sorghum, and amaranth.
He also advocates for intra-African trade and reduced tariffs to enable food circulation across borders.
“Not all of Africa faces food shortage,” he notes. “If borders were open, food could move freely where it’s needed most.”
👩🏾🌾 A Message to the Youth: Agriculture Is the Future
Finally, Njue has a message for Africa’s youth:
“Don’t shun agriculture. Don’t cry about unemployment while opportunities exist in farming. You have the energy, the knowledge, and the technology to make agriculture profitable.”
From value addition to agribusiness and export markets, the opportunities are vast - but only for those willing to innovate.
🌻 Final Thoughts
Samuel Njue’s story is a call to action for all stakeholders in Africa’s agricultural ecosystem - farmers, policymakers, investors, and the youth.
Value addition isn’t just about processing crops; it’s about transforming mindsets - from subsistence to sustainability, from farming to business.
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