Kevote KCEP-CRAL: From 3 to 9 Tonnes in Feed Production
Dairy Feed Formulation Success in Embu County
Production Growth
+200% production growth
Jobs Created
2 new jobs
Key Highlight
3 → 9 tonnes feed production
Beneficiary
Kevote KCEP-CRAL
Type
Farmer Organisation / Cooperative
Location
Gaturi North · Embu West · Embu
Story Collected By
Margaret Njeru – Embu County Coach
Transformation Journey
BBefore RK-FINFA
They were producing three tonnes of dairy meal supplied to local farmers, book keeping was up to date though some skills were missing which needed some interventions by an expert. They had 2 casuals and 1 permanent employee who is in the bracket of female youth and 34 indirect beneficiaries.
AAfter RK-FINFA
They have upscaled feed formulation to 9 tonnes, upgraded their record books, and updated their business plan to meet the market demand. Added casual labourers by 3 totalling to 5. The casuals recruited are all youths — 2 male and 1 female. After the intervention the indirect beneficiaries have increased from 34 to 56.
Key Result
They have accessed funding which has increased production. By sourcing raw materials locally, they have managed to reduce the challenge of low supply of raw materials from external sources. Quality has improved due to quality raw materials.
Impact Results
Production
+200% production growth
Employment
2 new jobs
Market & Linkages
+65% membership growth
The Challenge
Before the project, the organisation was not able to clearly prepare business plans to the required standards, succession plans, proper book keeping and record keeping for individual farmers, as well as proper linkage to financial institutions. It was a difficult task to access finances at affordable rates since institutions had laid down stringent measures that were not friendly to new business ventures. This contributed to low productivity in the business as it experienced excess demand that could not be met by the available capital at that time.
Main Challenges Faced
- 1Inadequate capital for business expansion
- 2Difficulty in sourcing raw materials
- 3Inadequate knowledge on documents required by financiers
- 4Inadequate securities needed by financial institutions
- 5Low income realization affecting farmer livelihoods
RK-FINFA Support Provided
After RK-FINFA was explained to the organisation by Private Equity Support, the senior officials and management members were eager to learn and benefit. The Embu Coach visited them and trained them on business planning, succession planning, and book keeping skills. After successful training, they were linked to Universal Traders Sacco–Embu Branch where they qualified for a loan.
Training Areas
Photo Gallery
Video Interview
Hear directly from Kevote KCEP-CRAL about their transformation journey
Beneficiary Demographics
38
Women
7
Youth
2
PWDs
18
Men
Gender, Youth & Inclusion
Most of the employees are youth and women, ensuring inclusive participation.
2 PWDs have the same rights as other members with full participation.
Decisions are made by at least ¾ of total membership, ensuring democratic governance.
"We are so happy that we are among the first beneficiaries of RK FINFA project, we have upscaled. Thank you so much."
Peter Karani
Chairman, Kevote KCEP-CRAL
Sustainability Measures
- Existing share capital contribution open to all members
- Ploughing back profit for upscaling and new ventures
- Linkages with financial institutions established
- Cooperative society registered with member subscriptions
- Good governance structure in place
Future Outlook
- Milk aggregation plant ongoing
- Planning to purchase land and build centralised facility
- Plan to offer credit facilities to members
- Training farmers on proper feeding and animal nutrition
- Establishing market for export products (avocados, macadamia, cereals)