Agriculture has become a staple for a majority of Kenyans with many farmers cashing in on the lucrative venture.
Hailed as the backbone of the country's economy, young farmers have capitalised on modern technological techniques - raking in billions in the process.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), global value addition generated by agriculture grew by 73 per cent in the past 20 years, reaching Ksh350 trillion in 2019. Further, agriculture provided employment for 874 million people in 2020 - signalling a 27 per cent of the global workforce.
In the past year, a number of crops earned farmers millions as they exhibited the highest amount from January to July 2021. Popular crops such as avocado totalled an amount of Ksh10 billion within the six months. However, a number of little known crops became a cash cow for many Kenyan farmers.
Basil
The fragrant herb is a warm-weather crop that yields an abundant harvest in weeks for farmers. It grows in favourable warm weather conditions whereby the plant has to get six to eight hours of sun for favourable growth.
According to the Horticultural Exports Statistics report, the exports from the crop amounted to Ksh645 million within the first six months of 2021 with the highest export indicated in March 2021 - Ksh129 million.
According to various agricultural sites, a kilogram of basil will retail at an average of Ksh500, though this may vary according to the season. The herb is rich in vitamins and helps in lowering blood pressure.
Chives
The purple flowering chives grow in clumps and are an attractive salad garnish. In the period of January to July 2021, the herb's exports grew to Ksh61 million.
The crop takes about 45 days to mature after which a farmer can harvest every 20 - 25 days for three years. A recent media report indicated that 80 farmers from Bahati constituency transitioned from farming maize and beans to growing chives.
The crop is favourably as it is rarely attacked by pests and diseases, making it a very attractive crop for farmers.
Tarragon
The little known herb is a perennial herb that is mainly used flavouring, fragrance as well as medicinal purposes. Its benefits include treating digestion problems, poor appetite water retention and toothache. The crop is also useful for promoting sleep.
The herb is steadily becoming a staple in the market with its exports in the market rising to Ksh6 million from January to July 2021.
According to agricultural sites, a kilogram of tarragon goes for Ksh490.
Thyme
The valuable crop is a leaf of shrub in the mint family. It consists of grayish-green leaves that is used for culinary and medicinal benefits. It has a minty flavour hence on high demand in Europe. The total number of exports for the first six months in 2021 was Ksh7.07 million.
From one acre, a farmer can harvest between 600 to 1000 kilos.
“A bed of one-by-ten metres of thyme gives us not less than three kilos, with each going for between Ksh150 and Ksh200," George Gathuru, a farmer stated in a past media interview.
Parsley
The bright -green flowering plant has been used as medicinal benefits, from treating conditions such as high blood pressure, allergies as well as inflammatory diseases.
It's also used as a culinary herb when dried spice. Its mild flavour pairs well with a number of recipes. The country exported the crop, totalling to Ksh1.35 million.
The crop does well in loamy soils, 950-100mm rainfall, 2100m altitude and temperatures ranging from 20-24 degrees.
