VERT's new factory opens in Kenya

© FGCA

August 29, 2018, will undoubtedly be an unforgettable day for the employees and farmers who work for VERT Ltd in Kenya: the long-awaited inauguration of the new factory in Machakos, which should allow VERT Ltd to move up a gear.

Until now, this social enterprise, in which the Foundation has been a shareholder since 2016, only had a relatively small warehouse in the suburbs of Nairobi, near the airport, to receive the fresh vegetables (green beans, peas, etc.) it exports mainly to the Netherlands and Belgium. The new factory comprises two main buildings and was financed by capital contributions from the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation and the other new shareholder, Kampani, a Belgian investment fund. With this new facility, VERT Ltd will be able to increase the export volume of fresh vegetables, but also develop a new product line: the production of mango and passion fruit pulp mainly for the local market and, eventually, the marketing of dried mangoes for export. In addition, the factory includes a closed circuit for the use of water in the pulp extraction process and the reprocessing of wastewater for local drinking water consumption.

It is therefore with great pride that the Foundation participated in the inauguration alongside the founders of VERT Ltd, Jane and Nderito Maina, company employees, representatives of smallholder farmers and local authorities (Kenya Association of Manufacturers, County Representative, Micro Enterprise Support Programme Trust). For the 1,800 smallholder farmers with whom VERT Ltd works directly, this factory is a lever to significantly increase their income and the possibility of diversifying their production. By promoting stable outlets for export or for local markets, VERT Ltd will be able to amplify its role and increase its social and economic impact on smallholder farmers in Kenya.