Value-Added Fruit from a Rural County

Location: Makueni County, Kenya
Agripreneur: Grace Nthenya
Venture: Makueni Gold Dried Fruits Ltd.

🌱 Humble Beginnings

Grace Nthenya grew up in Makueni, a semi-arid county well known for its mangoes. Every harvest season, trucks of ripe mangoes would line village roads — and every year, much of the fruit would rot before reaching the market. Like many farmers, her family faced post-harvest losses of up to 40%.

After completing a degree in agribusiness management and returning home, Grace saw more than just waste — she saw opportunity. “We were sitting on gold, but no one had figured out how to preserve it,” she recalls.

💡 The Turning Point: Value Addition

In 2018, Grace founded Makueni Gold Dried Fruits Ltd, starting with a single solar dryer behind her mother’s house. Her idea was simple: buy surplus mangoes from smallholder farmers at fair prices, dry them hygienically, package them attractively, and sell to urban markets.

With a small grant from a youth agribusiness accelerator and training from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), she invested in a larger solar tunnel dryer and food-safe processing tools.

🔗 Empowering the Value Chain

What makes Grace’s model special is its inclusive approach:

• Over 300 local farmers now supply mangoes directly to her facility.

• She runs training programs on good agricultural practices (GAP) to improve mango quality.

• Her business employs 15 local women who sort, peel, and dry the fruit.

🌍 Breaking into Export Markets

In 2021, after obtaining a Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) certification and food safety training, Grace began exporting dried mango slices to Germany and the United Arab Emirates.

Through a partnership with a European buyer and support from Kenya’s Horticultural Crops Directorate, she scaled production. Her mango products now carry the “Made in Kenya” badge — with pride.

📈 Impact and Growth

• Annual revenue grew from KES 300,000 to over KES 8 million in just three years.

• Waste was reduced by 70%, and previously discarded mangoes now earn money.

• Local farmers’ incomes have doubled, thanks to reliable off-take and fair prices.

Grace also added new products: dried pineapple, passion fruit leather, and mango flour, used in baking and infant nutrition.

💬 Words of Wisdom

“Agribusiness is not just about farming. It’s about vision, value addition, and partnerships,” Grace says. “If you solve a problem, profit will follow.”

🛤️ What’s Next?

Grace plans to:

• Set up a mobile processing unit to reach more remote farmers.

• Launch her brand in Kenyan supermarkets and health food stores.

• Expand into natural juice concentrates using mango pulp by-products.

✅ Key Takeaways for Agripreneurs

• Start with what you have — even one solar dryer can change your community.

• Focus on post-harvest solutions, especially in perishable crops.

• Build trust with farmers, and they will support your growth.

• Certify your products early to access premium markets.