In recognition of the immense role women play in agriculture, we feature four women farmers who are amongst those who have taken farming to new heights. Not only have they ventured into unique modes of farming, but their back stories are filled with awe and inspiration.
Maria Shikalepo takes one last look at her orders of poultry products before carefully loading them onto her trusted transport, and neatly putting each box down to avoid breakage. This is something she does daily before setting off to sell her products.
Veterinarian Israel Meunae Kaatura has a passion for serving the community. For years, he has been going over and above the call of duty to assist farmers who would call him at odd hours for urgent diagnoses on their livestock.
Part-time farmers are often faced with tough decisions to make regarding their farming enterprises. The farming mode or type, location of the farm or village – and most importantly the choices of human resources that would drive operations in your absence are all worries that make for sleepless nights.
In our quests to make it as farmers and prove our salt’s worth, we may stumble and fall; it is perfectly normal. Mind you, the quest is no longer just about becoming a farmer, it is now all about ‘agripreunership’.
Do not believe the hype about how numbers or quantity is not important in farming. This is a trap, especially if you are an emerging farmer.
Fabiola Matuzee, a registered accountant has managed to grow her poultry business from an experimental stage into a fully-fledged business that utilises value addition to its main products at every step of the way.
Gone are the days when farmers relied on one form of farming for an income. In the current set-up where farming has evolved from being a mere sign of wealth, health and all things good, farmers must maximise their earning potential.