Farmers may yet find a solution above ground, with tower gardens. That is if cousins and proprietors of Vertical Gardens, an alternative farming solutions company, have any say in the matter.
Fred Muthiga and Fred Kimani came together in 2012 after they perceived a gap in the market for farmers who could not afford vast tracts of land – the duo put in US$120 of starting capital and soon the business grew.
However, the Covid-19 pandemic turned out to be a blessing in disguise as more customers from urban areas began to trickle in. “Fast forward to 2020, when Covid-19 happened, we saw an influx of people grow their own food,” reports Muthiga.
Vertical Gardens offers a variety of services such as vertical garden system, a crate system going for anywhere between US$180 to US$50. Tower gardens and the Pouch systems are also available for anywhere from US$130 in Kenya.
According to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, more than 68 per cent of the global population will live in cities by 2050. These urban customers will need high quality pesticide-free food but, despite this projection, the growth in the industry remains low.
This may well be the case with many of the vertical garden customers asking for installation on their balconies. “We provided solutions that enabled our customers to grow their own food…in a safe and hygienic way,” says Muthiga.
What’s happening with the rest of Africa?
There may be a demand for hydroponics as a service, but what does it really take to set up a working system? Huge barriers face anyone looking to go down the vertical farming. There are quite a few barriers, among them huge initial investment and frequent power cuts – not to mention the enormous cost of setting up an alternative power source system.
African governments have made a push for hydroponics among other next-generation methods of farming to attract its youth population to provide labour for its agricultural market.
According to a 2021 report by the International Labour Organisation, the continent’s labour force has increased markedly in size during the same period – from 302.1 million in 2000 to 489.7 million in 2019 – and was projected to reach 518 million by this year. Meanwhile, governments are bent on making agriculture sexy again.
In Uganda, for example, the Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute in Kabanyolo now hosts demonstrations of agricultural technologies, including hydroponics, that the youth […]